But in the end, Paris emerged as a spectacular spectacle, proving that bold thinking can restore luster to a global sporting event that has seen its popularity wane in recent years.
A century after the 1924 Paris Olympics, Friday's opening ceremony marked France's return as host country. And after two pandemic-induced Olympics that were largely hushed and largely absent, this one marked a triumphant return of the Olympic spectacle: colorful, playful, flamboyant and quirky, a dynamic blend of fervent patriotism and flamboyant internationalism.
When France bid to host the Olympics in 2016, they envisioned a traditional ceremony at the Stade de France. But in the years since, organizers have begun brainstorming creative ways to host the Olympics around the city, and there was no more iconic and special place for the opening ceremony than the Seine.
Thomas Joly, the ceremony's artistic director, wrote that his vision was to demonstrate Paris' river's “power to grant wishes and to heal” during times of global conflict and after local tragedies, such as the fire that devastated Notre Dame Cathedral in 2019. The famous church, a symbol of France to many, featured prominently at the start of the ceremony, with performers dangling from scaffolding and ringing its bells for the first time since the fire.
“Paris is rejuvenated, joyous, glamorous, creative, open. Free,” Jolie wrote.
All of that was the case for over four hours on a Friday night.
Eschewing the outdated choreography of a show followed by a parade of athletes, Paris interspersed performances among the delegations' river march. The program progressed through 12 “artistic tableaux” with themes like “Liberty,” “Sisterhood” and “Darkness,” each showcasing an aspect of French history, culture and craftsmanship. There were appearances from the Moulin Rouge and the Mona Lisa, as well as acrobats, fashion models and even a scene from “Les Miserables.”
It was a star-studded event. Lady Gaga, donning pink feathers, sang the cabaret classic “Mon Truc en Plumes.” Metal band Gojira and pop star Aya Nakamura provided a French-inspired production. After a spectacular light show at the Eiffel Tower, Celine Dion closed the ceremony with a moving rendition of “Hymn to Love.”
The decision to hold the Opening Ceremony by the river was an unusual, bold and risky one.
“The word that comes to mind is arrogance,” said political analyst François Heisbourg. “Not playing it safe would be a huge institutional, security and reputational problem. France has decided not to play it safe.”
Friday got off to an ignoble start, with an arson attack causing severe transport disruptions just hours before the opening ceremony was to begin. France's caretaker prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said on Friday that the “sabotage” had been “prepared and organised” and had hit railway lines running east, west and north of Paris. But transport in the Paris region was not affected. (It is not yet clear who was behind the attack; prosecutors have launched an investigation.)
Literal rain clouds also gathered overhead, raising questions throughout the day about whether the outdoor ceremony would lose some of its much-anticipated sparkle.
At the Trocadero on Friday night, spectators carried ponchos and umbrellas to protect themselves from the pouring rain. Technical staff spoke frantically over the intercom as two of the six big screens, including the one being watched by French President Emmanuel Macron and world leaders, went dark briefly.
Some journalists left early to find cooler spots, but many in the audience, including those who had paid thousands of dollars for coveted seats at the Trocadero, remained undeterred and enthusiastic.
The sunset over the Seine was less than dramatic, but the performances on the riverbanks, bridges, boats and rooftops went on without a hitch.
A mile-long boat procession in the open could go wrong in many ways. Paris is a frequent target of terrorism; an Islamist attack in November 2015 killed 130 people and injured more than 400. Israel's war in Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have stoked geopolitical tensions. The 1972 Munich Olympics, in which Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, loomed large as a worst-case scenario.
Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin said Friday that more than 50,000 security personnel were present at the opening ceremony, including French police and military personnel, private contractors and foreign guards from about 50 countries. Israeli athletes, some of whom had received threats ahead of the Olympics, were given extra security.
AI-powered monitoring centers have also been activated to detect sudden crowd movements, abandoned objects and people lying on the ground, in an effort to thwart attacks like the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics bombing.
French authorities were visibly on edge, with bomb fears forcing the evacuations of several locations around Paris throughout the day on Friday.
Drones are also a potential threat. French authorities closed off airspace within about 100 miles of Paris at 6:30 p.m. local time (12:30 p.m. Eastern), a “historic” move that blocked air traffic from Paris-area airports until midnight local time. The French military is coordinating counter-drone operations from a base southwest of Paris, deploying dozens of teams equipped with anti-drone equipment.
To clear the parade route, authorities took the drastic step of barricading the Seine, cutting off access to the river for many local residents. Last Thursday, eight days before the ceremony, workers began setting up chain-link fences and closing bridges along the river. Joggers enjoying their early morning runs along the riverbank had to return through checkpoints. Cyclists suddenly found their route cut off. Traffic along the river was backed up and roads became impassable.
Heisbourg said France had done all the right things from a security perspective, but he added that the fortress-like enclosure around the Seine went against Paris' “Games Wide Open” pledge to make the Olympics especially accessible to Parisians.
Many wealthy Parisians left the city before the opening ceremony began – their travels complicated by the train burnings – but some stayed on to watch the show in their hometowns.
In Parc de Clichy-Batignolles Martin Luther King, a small grassy square in the north of Paris, the grand opening ceremony became a community festival. Fans sat on folding chairs and blankets in front of a stage and a big screen, and families played cards around picnic tables. One man waved a Chilean flag, another woman had her face painted with Norwegian colors. A group wearing Swiss bucket hats, undeterred by the rain, began dancing and singing to “It's Raining Men.”
Jeffrey Jouilly, 45, and Nadia Gott, 39, were among Parisians queuing up in front of a beer tent in the park. Jouilly acknowledged that Parisians are divided on the benefits of the Olympics.
“A lot of people complained,” Gott said, but they also considered themselves part of a proud and excited half of the city about their bold use of the Seine.
What did they want to show the world at the opening ceremony? “The magnificence of Paris,” Juilly said.
Paris 2024 organizers have pledged to make better use of existing infrastructure than previous host cities, as well as ensure that the games benefit residents of poorer areas of the region.
At a viewing party in Saint-Denis, a low-income French suburb that's home to the Stade de France, a key Olympic venue, residents cheered as Lady Gaga appeared on the screen. At a streetside cafe, 23-year-old Mounir Seddiqi was trying to get into the Olympic spirit. She lamented the traffic jams caused by the opening ceremony and the hassle of buying tickets for the events. But the streets had become safer, she said, as authorities increased investment in Saint-Denis in preparation for the Games.
About eight miles away, As the Olympic parade made its way down the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower, the boat riders seemed to get wetter and wetter — by the time the U.S. team emerged, rain had soaked their hair and Ralph Lauren blazers — but as night fell on the river, the athletes were all smiles and took selfies.
Notably absent from the rowing are athletes from Russia and Belarus. The International Olympic Committee imposed sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the Russian Olympic Federation was suspended for attempting to claim athletes in occupied territory of Ukraine as its own. Some Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to participate in Paris, but only as what the IOC calls “independent and neutral athletes.” They will not be allowed to take part in the opening ceremony.
Though the IOC officially promises neutrality, the Olympics have always been politically charged, and this time around there have been calls to ban Israeli athletes because of Israel's devastating war in Gaza.
At the end of the ceremony, surrounded by the arches of the Eiffel Tower and protected by umbrellas, Tony Estanguet, the former French canoeist and president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, delivered a message of unity to the athletes gathered before him.
“The Olympics cannot solve all our problems, it will not eliminate discrimination and conflict, but tonight you have reminded us how great humanity is when we come together,” he said. “And when you return to the Olympic Village, you will send a message of hope to the world – a message that there is a place for people of every nationality, every culture and every religion to live together. You will remind us of what is possible.”
Adam Kilgore, Les Carpenter, Candace Buckner, Barry Svlurga and Emily Giambalbo in Paris contributed to this report.
