Singer Celine Dion performed from the Eiffel Tower as Paris started its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday. The rule-breaking opening ceremony unfolded along the Seine River and lasted for 4 hours.
The on-and-off rain did not seem to demoralize the zeal of the athletes. Some of the athletes held umbrellas as they rode boats down the river, showcasing the city’s resilience as the government probed suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s high-speed rail network.
The stakes were high for France for the ambitious ceremony. A number of heads of state and government officials were present, and the world was watching as the French capital transformed into a giant stage. Iconic monuments along the Seine became stages for dancers, singers, and other artists.
The Louvre Museum appears to be one of the stages. Nearby, French judo champion Teddy Riner and three-time Olympic champion runner Marie-Jose Perec lit the Olympic cauldron, which was filled with the giant balloon that floated into the night—a homage to early French pioneers of manned flight.
Regardless of the weather conditions, crowds crammed the Seine’s banks and bridges and watched from balconies, “oohing” and “aahing” as Olympic teams paraded in boats down the increasingly choppy waterway. Many spectators huddled under umbrellas, plastic ponchos, or jackets as the rain continued, while others danced and sang, and some dashed for shelter.
The weather caused so many unexpected scenes during the appearance, which combined prerecorded and live performances: a pianist played on even as small puddles formed on his grand piano, a breakdancer executed moves on a rain-drenched platform, and some athletes in colorful Bermuda-style shirts looked dressed for the beach rather than a raindrop.
The organizers said the weather forced them to cancel some elements of the show deemed too dangerous under the slippery conditions. Still, as global audiences tuned in, Paris put its best foot forward with a spectacular Olympic launch. Joyous French cancan dancers lifted spirits early on, and a humorous short film featured soccer icon Zinedine Zidane. Plumes of French blue, white, and red smoke followed.
Lady Gaga sang in French in a prerecorded segment, with dancers shaking pink-plumed pompoms, adding a cabaret feel. On the Eiffel Tower, Dion closed the show with her first live performance since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, at the end of 2022.
More than three hours into the show, French President Emmanuel Macron declared the games open. In a gaffe before that, the five-ring Olympic flag was raised upside down at the Trocadero across from the Eiffel Tower.
In some memorable moments, French-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French-speaking artist in the world, emerged from a pyrotechnic display in an all-gold outfit to sing her hit “Djadja” accompanied by a Republican guard band of the French army. The ceremony celebrated women, with ten golden statues of female pioneers rising from giant pedestals along the river.
The Paris Olympics are targeted to be the first with equal numbers of men and women competing for titles. The sprawling event posed significant challenges for organizers, who had to transport, organize, and safeguard larger crowds than previous Olympic ceremonies held in stadiums.
Thousands of athletes on 85 boats started the 6-kilometer (nearly 4-mile) parade on the Seine by breaking through curtains of water cascading down from the Austerlitz Bridge. The jetting waters were a nod to the fountains of Versailles Palace, the venue for Olympic equestrian competitions.