Paris 2024 begins Friday and the French — the people who produce the world’s most delicious cheese, finest haute couture and countless other exquisite creations — are about to deliver what may be the most unique opening ceremony in the history of the Olympic Games.
Instead of a customary event inside a stadium, the opening ceremony will be a one-of-a-kind waterborne pageant on the River Seine, using the famously photogenic city as a rolling backdrop. Thousands of athletes from around the world will travel by boat in a floating parade through the heart of Paris at sunset, beginning at the Austerlitz Bridge and past landmarks like the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral. The boats will be equipped with cameras so viewers will be able to see athletes up close as they float down the Seine. The route will move west for just under four miles, ending at the Trocaderó, where the rest of the ceremony will take place in front of the Eiffel Tower.
The ambitious ceremony, devised by theater director Thomas Jolly, has a reported budget of $150 million. Little has been revealed about what the ceremony will include, though it will feature 12 scenes inspired by French history. Both Lady Gaga and Celine Dion have been spotted in Paris this week, prompting speculation that they will perform at the event, but their participation has not been confirmed. The unprecedented nature of the event has sparked concerns about everything from security and the weather to the level of fecal matter in the Seine. Earlier this week, hundreds of dancers threatened to disrupt the ceremony if their pay demands were not met, but the strike action was ultimately called off.
The ceremony is beginning and American audiences can watch live on NBC or Peacock. The ceremony will be hosted by NBC commentator Mike Tirico, singer Kelly Clarkson and former NFL player Peyton Manning — all three of whom are decidedly not French.
Join Times writers Mary McNamara and Meredith Blake as they weigh in on the audacious spectacle.
10:47 a.m.: Excuse me, that was “And Just Like That.” Don’t get it twisted. — M.B.
10:46 a.m.: Meredith! So impressed with the “Sex and the City” ref! — M.M.
10:46 a.m.: It’s been less than 15 minutes and we’ve already gotten a mention of E. coli levels in the Seine. Thanks, Mike Tirico. — M.B.
10:45 a.m.: You gotta love Albania, sending eight athletes. Right behind is Germany with 463. — M.M.
10:44 a.m.: Well, Mary, that is one more bridge than I can name. Is that the one with all the locks on it? Or the one where Carrie dumped Big’s ashes? Maybe we should bust out Google maps and make some educated guesses. — M.B.
10:43 a.m.: The first few national delegations have arrived via boat. I am suddenly very curious about how they decided which country got which boat and who winds up with the biggest wreck. Time till tell. — M.B.
10:42 a.m.: Meredith! The only bridge in Paris I can name is the super fancy one, the Pont Alexandre III. Can you do better or should I start Googling as the teams begin making their way down the Seine? — M.M.
10:41 a.m.: Now kids are out on Seine, hooded rower still mysterious but the ceremony has now begun with an explosion of red, white and blue smoke. — M.M.
10:40 a.m.: I hope this means a Jean-Luc Godard montage will be forthcoming. — M.B.
10:40 a.m.: I nearly made a joke earlier about whether there would be an “Amelie” homage in this ceremony and, lo and behold, the whole things kicks off with a short film in which Jamel Debbouze — the French-Moroccan actor you may recall as “that guy from ‘Amelie’” — passsing off the torch to legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane. — M.B.
10:37 a.m.: This Olympic torch-bearing is going full on Hollywood. First, a James Bond-ian race through squares and cafes, and now kids underground in a mysterious boat with alligators? — M.M.
10:33 a.m.: May never be able to get over the sight of the beach volleyball court set up in front of Eiffel Tower. For Parisians who have still not gotten over the Louvre Pyramid, this must be a lot. — M.M.
10:30 a.m.: Watching the opening ceremony preview, I learn that there will be safety boats available to catch any athletes who fall into the Seine. I really cannot wait to see how this all pans out. As James Cameron can tell you, there are few jobs in showbiz harder than filming something on the water, in a boat. Now try doing it live! To quote Marie Kondo, “I’m so excited because I love mess.” — M.B.
10:19 a.m.: Am very grateful that the rail attacks appear to have not caused any deaths or injuries. But let’s have a moment of silence for those Parisians who, like millions of their fellow citizens, are attempting to leave the city only to be stuck at train stations. — M.M.
10:18 a.m.: In introducing Peacock’s Gold Zone, Scott Hanson had the first American-horror pronunciation of bonjour. Looking forward to many more as all the commentators deal with the names of iconic Parisian landmarks. — M.M.
10:15 a.m. Hey Meredith! Super excited to be live-blogging the Paris Olympics opening ceremony with you. Some of the games have already begun — USA women’s soccer scored their first victory yesterday. In preparation for the ceremony’s start at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, 10:30 a.m. Pacific time., several stars, including John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande (in their “Wicked” colors of green and pink), have been making their way down the red carpet. But for me, the real start of the Olympics is the appearance of Mary Carillo, who just gave us a small tutorial and the raising of snails — they’re high in protein! Let the games begin! — Mary McNamara
10:15 a.m. Good morning, Mary! Or should I say bonjour? The Olympics are about to begin and I am on a couch in New York wearing my finest Old Navy athleisure wear. Thousands of miles away in Paris, there are thousands of athletes dressed up in corporate sponsored national regalia and about to board a few hundred boats for what might be the most bonkers, but potentially fantastic, opening ceremony in recent memory. As I read up about artistic director’s Thomas Jolly’s wildly ambitious plans for the event the last few days, I have found myself growing increasingly concerned about the weather forecast today in Paris. (Mercifully, it looks like the rain has stopped.) More worrying are the seemingly coordinated attacks on the several high-speed rail lines, which have hobbled transit across the country and will certainly lend more tension to an event already full of uncertainty. All we really know about the ceremony is that it will use the city of Paris as a rolling backdrop to depict a dozen scenes from French history. What that might actually entail — a cameo for René Descartes? — is anyone’s guess. Mary, what will you be looking out for in today’s coverage? — Meredith Blake
