Paris 2024, Summer Olympics opening ceremony: all the essential information you need

Opening Ceremony of Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris

There will be an Olympic frenzy in Paris following the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics 2024. For nearly fifteen days, this excitement will consume every aspect of daily existence. The aim is to stage the largest Olympic ceremony in history, defying conventions and expectations. This momentous occasion will encircle the entire city in addition to taking place in a stadium. Thomas Jolly, a creative outsider, is directing the play, and it seems like a real experience. Let’s go cautiously.

The opening ceremony date of the Summer Olympics

The organizers will hold the inaugural ceremony on July 26, 2024.

Commencing time of the Summer Olympics

8.24 p.m. CEST, or 20.24 if you’re using the 24-hour clock, is when the ceremony starts. Observe what they did over there. For viewers in the US, that is 1.24 p.m. CDT, 11.24 p.m. PDT, and 7.24 p.m. BST in the UK.

The ceremony will held outside a stadium

Probably not where you were expecting to be. The Paris 2024 opening ceremony will take place outdoors, on the banks of the Seine River, and even in its waters. The organizers will stage the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics outside a stadium for the first time in history. This greatly increases the number of seats that can be occupied.

A ceremony on the river

The six km of the spectator path starts at a bridge above the Seine. It comes to a finish across from the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadéro. It will be ambitious, for sure.

Summer Olympics 2024 — Lantern and fireworks

The festivities on the Seine River begin around dusk. About 10,500 athletes from various national delegations will assemble on boats that nations have arranged. As is customary, the Greeks will take the lead and start the journey from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Pont d’Iéna. The Trocadéro esplanade will receive the 116 boats and their occupants. They will end with a breathtaking display facing the Eiffel Tower. The schedule shows that the segment will start at 11:50 p.m. when the French boat, the last ship in the convoy, is expected to arrive.

A public celebration that many people can attend

This is the first ceremony of its sort that is inclusive. The concert will be visible to everyone thanks to 80 massive displays. The magical atmosphere of the performance will echo across the French city thanks to strategically positioned speakers. 2024 will see the largest opening ceremony in Olympic history, held in Paris. Attendance is open to everybody. This includes locals from Paris and the neighboring areas. Travelers from all around the world, including those from France, are also participating.

Organizers reported that 600,000 spectators were present. However, organizers have lowered the amount to 300,000 because of safety and logistical concerns, notably about the city’s transport infrastructure.

A ceremony created by and for athletics

The athletes will be the focal point and soul of the ceremony. Paris 2024 opens with an athletes’ parade, defying tradition. There will be an athlete showcase on stage before the ceremony. They will be on display at the event as well. The objective of hosting Games created with athletes in mind is still Paris 2024.

In charge of the inaugural event

The famous stage director Thomas Jolly will serve as the artistic director for the several festivities taking place in Paris in 2024. Jolly, the seasoned artist behind the revival of “Starmania,” among many other highly acclaimed plays and operas, has always been enthralled with Shakespearean epics and their tragic and horrific aspects. Jolly has also proven that he is capable of revitalizing classic literature. He has surrounded himself with authors and historians to assist him in writing the opening ceremony to retain the event’s “simplicity,” despite the enormous scope of the project.

The theme song for the Summer Olympics

The official theme song is “Parade” by Victor Le Manse. The song was recorded and performed by the Orchestre National de France on May 8, the day the Olympic Flame arrived in Marseille.

Stage performances

It is anticipated that the occasion will be a diverse spectacular featuring opera, dance, theatre, and circus acts. There will be multiple segments to the event that merge with separate storylines. One of these stories will take place in France’s ever-enchanting capital, bringing its many well-known sites to life along the way. Additionally, the show now has a little bit of regional flavor thanks to the director’s addition of experiences from people who live and work near the river.

Tickets for the ceremony

100,000 tickets were up for grabs in May, with prices ranging from €90 to an astounding €2,700. Only tickets that matched the seating zones set up around the Trocadéro and along the lower quays of the Seine may be purchased by those who had registered and been selected through a lottery.

If you were not able to secure one of the 100,000 first-release tickets for the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, there was still another chance to receive a free ticket for the seating sections set up along the upper quays of the Seine. Naturally, in the case that you are unable to attend the ceremony in person, there are big screens all across the city where you can watch the full event on television.

Watch the webcast of the opening ceremony

You will be able to watch free live and archived Olympic events on a dedicated streaming channel. The BBC website and iPlayer in the UK will provide live and on-demand coverage of the games, which will also be aired on France.tv. The opening ceremony will also be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.