Opening Ceremony

ONE CEREMONY, SEVERAL FIRSTS

The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games will be bold, original and unique. On 26 July 2024, Paris 2024 will offer an Opening Ceremony that is certain to join the most memorable moments in Olympic history.

A ceremony outside a stadium

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is breaking new ground by bringing sports into the city and the same will be true of the Opening Ceremony, set to be held in the heart of the city along its main artery: the Seine.

A ceremony on the river

Taking on a new guise, the parade of athletes will be held on the Seine with boats for each national delegation. These boats will be equipped with cameras to allow television and online viewers to see the athletes up close. Winding their way from east to west, the 10,500 athletes will cross through the centre of Paris, the overall playing field for the Games on which these competitors will display their sporting prowess over the next 16 days. The parade will come to the end of its 6-kilometre route in front of the Trocadéro, where the remaining elements of Olympic protocol and final shows will take place.

A ceremony with admission for many spectators

A ceremony open to as many people as possible is a first. Eighty giant screens and strategically placed speakers will allow everyone to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this show reverberating throughout the French capital. The Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will be the largest in Games history. It will be open to all: residents from Paris and its region, as well as visitors from all over France and around the world.

A ceremony designed for and by athletes

Athletes will be the heart and soul of the ceremony. By opening with the parade of athletes, Paris 2024 is breaking with tradition. Athletes will be featured on stage during the introduction to and throughout the ceremony as part of Paris 2024’s constant aim to hold Games created for and by athletes.

PARADE ROUTE

The river parade will follow the course of the Seine, from east to west over 6 kilometres. The parade will depart from the Austerlitz bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes at 7.30 p.m. CET (10.30 a.m. in Los Angeles, 2.30 p.m. in Rio de Janeiro, 6.30 p.m. in London and 8.30 p.m. in Athens) and make its way around the two islands at the centre of the city (the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité) before passing under several bridges and gateways. Athletes on board the parade boats will get glimpses of some of the official Games venues, including Parc Urbain La Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais, and lastly the Iéna bridge where the parade will come to a stop before the ceremony’s finale at the Trocadéro.