In pictures: Advance ‘images’ of opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics
Dancer on a roof, colourful giant balloons over the Seine, cyclists in the air - see what has been released
It is hoped that over one billion people will tune into the opening ceremony
Paris 2024 / Florian Hulleu
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will start at 20:24 tonight Friday (July 26) - and official images depicting how it could unfold have been released.
For the first time in the Summer Games’ modern history, the opening ceremony will not be held inside a stadium, but rather outside, along the river Seine and at the Trocadéro, opposite the Eiffel Tower in central Paris.
“On Friday, 26 July, more than one billion eyes will turn to Paris and the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet announced in April.
Due to security concerns, only the 300,000 people with tickets can attend the ceremony itself, however, organisers believe they can top the 900 million television viewers who tuned into the London 2012 Olympics.
Where can I watch the Paris 2024 opening ceremony?
The ceremony will be broadcast for free on France 2 and Eurosport from 19:30 as well as on the US channel NBC, with coverage starting at noon Eastern Time, and on BBC One from 17:45 GMT.
What do we know about the unique ceremony?
While the organisers are keen to keep the details a surprise, concept art for the event has been made public.
It is known that it will feature hundreds of river boats in which the 6,000 to 7,000 athletes from around the world will parade their countries’ colours.
Around 3,000 artists are expected to perform. Among performers hinted to be appearing are Celine Dion and Lady Gaga - although no confirmation of this has been officially released.
As night falls, monuments around Paris will be illuminated by a special light show and the ceremony will culminate with the lighting of the Olympic flame at the Trocadéro, at around 23:00. Who will have this honour has been kept secret
Organisers have been preparing the event since 2021, with Tony Estanguet entrusting the ceremony to artistic director Thomas Jolly, scriptwriter Fanny Herrero (creator of Dix Pour Cent), author Leïla Slimani, historian Patrick Boucheron and playwright Damien Gabriac.
Click on the arrows to scroll through the images below:
