Paris
CNN
—
It was wet, parts of it were weird, much of it was beautiful and all of it was very, very memorable.
An opening ceremony unlike any other got the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games officially underway in Paris Friday night and truly it was one that will live on in Olympic legend – though maybe not in the way the Paris 2024 organizers would have hoped.
Here are five takeaways from the opening of the 2024 Olympics.
Paris shows off
It wasn’t exactly the night that Paris 2024 organizers would have hoped for (more on that in a moment). But the opportunity to put the City of Light and its culture and people on full display was well-taken on Friday.
The boats floating on the River Seine allowed for incredible Parisian scenes as they passed storied landmarks on their journey to the end of the Parade of Nations at the Trocadero, with an Olympic-rings-adorned Eiffel Tower serving as the backdrop. The famous landmark was lit up in all its glory, a veritable beacon on what could have been a dreary night.
Much of the city was used as part of the performances, including videos of a torch-bearer running across the city’s rooftops and through iconic Paris locations. While the initial part of the ceremony flicked back and forth between recorded videos and live sweeping shots of the city, it really picked up when the focus was put on Paris itself.
Parts of the city’s history and culture were acknowledged throughout the ceremony, including a heavy metal performance in the Conciergerie with the windows full of headless Marie Antoinettes backlit in red, and a fashion show catwalk that went over the river itself. Oh, and not to mention Lady Gaga performing a salute to the city’s cabaret’s culture on the banks of the river.
In pictures: The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics
As the sun went down, the City of Light shone through the raindrops. The running of the Olympic Torch passed down the lit-up Seine and around the magnificent scenery outside of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower’s light show looked incredible as it illuminated the clouds and rain with lasers and dancing beams.
It was a strong preview of what the rest of the Games will look like with some of the city’s most iconic landmarks serving as backgrounds for competition.
The rain tries to steal the show
The rain had sent a warning Friday morning and threatened through much of Friday afternoon. But Paris’ gray skies finally opened up about 30 minutes into a three-and-a-half-hour show, leading to perhaps the most drenched opening ceremony in the history of the modern Olympics.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the River Seine, clad in ponchos and rain jackets, and a canopy of umbrellas sprouted up at the first hint of raindrops. But after about an hour of the wet stuff coming down in earnest, it was clear some of the crowd had had enough. In the grandstands at the end of the Parade of Nations, exposed onlookers ran for the comfort of hospitality tents and other nearby covered areas while cameras caught the occasional thinning of the crowd along the riverside.
The rain was evident in the performances as dancers occasionally took tentative movements or were seen having slight slips as they performed. The water sprung off musicians’ instruments as they played and some of the boats carrying the smaller athletic delegations appeared tossed in the Seine’s waves.
But the Olympic spirit did not wilt in the rain. The athletes – standing in pouring rain days before they are about to compete in the most important competitions of their lives – looked beyond excited to wave to the crowds and France truly seemed to embrace the Games, though maybe most of the Parisians who did not had already left the city to flee the millions of people coming to watch the competitions.
Celine Dion returns in stunning fashion
After a stunning light show on the Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic singers of the last several decades finally made her return to performing after four years.
Celine Dion has has been battling stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological condition that causes spasms, muscle rigidity, and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli, such as sound and lights. These spasms can be strong enough to fracture bone, and any fall can lead to severe injury, experts say.
Stiff person syndrome is very rare. About 1 out of every 1 million people develop it and most general neurologists will see only one or two cases in their lifetimes. The condition can develop at any age and has been found to affect twice as many women as men.
The exact cause of stiff person syndrome isn’t clear, but research has shown it may be due to an autoimmune response gone awry in the brain and spinal cord. Pain relievers, anti-anxiety medications and muscle relaxers can be a part of treatment for this disease, and a new drug has recently been fast-tracked for development by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Dion has been upbeat about her recovery, recently praising her doctor and saying that her fear of her condition has been replaced with hope.
Her performance of “L’Hymne à l’amour” closed the ceremony in stunning fashion. Clad in magnificent white, Dion’s performance drew goosebumps as she rolled back the years and her incredible voiced echoed along the Seine.
A massive roar greeted the end of her performance from the spectators who braved the rain throughout the night as the Eiffel Tower sparkled around her – truly a moment worthy of a singing icon.
A Paris party on a Friday night
A long dance break in the middle of the show encapsulated the vibe that much of the show took on: It was party time in the French capital.
Plenty of techno and Europop music accompanied by colorful dancers wearing all sorts of rave outfits – including one singer fully painted blue singing on a bed of flowers – turned heads around the world as the French displayed their party scene.
Earlier in the ceremony, the first moment that made people stop and stare was a performance by heavy metal band Gojira and their aforementioned headless Marie Antoinettes. In an opening ceremony full of classic rock anthems and dance tracks, the slamming drums and driving guitar was a surprising change of pace – indeed, it was the first time a metal band had played at the Opening Ceremony – but one that left a mark.
There was also a stirring performance of the host nation’s national anthem “La Marseillaise” from the top of the Grand Palais that surely sent French spirits soaring.
The traditional singing of John Lennon’s “Imagine” was accompanied by a burning piano on a stage floating in the Seine, a truly incredible moment as the lights went out along the river.
And as volunteers carried nations’ flags into the Trocadero, a rider on a galloping steel horse glided down the Seine with the Olympic flag serving as a cape in a one-of-a-kind Olympic moment. The steel horse and rider gave way to the living versions of both, carrying the Olympic flag to be officially raised.
A most magnificent cauldron lighting
The 2024 Games promised an opening ceremony unlike any other and it delivered – including on the incredible cauldron lighting.
The torch was carried by scores of French athletes and other famous Olympians of now and yesteryear – including Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal (who carried the torch on a boat down the Seine), Serena Williams (who rode next to Nadal), Carl Lewis and Tony Parker.
And when the final torchbearers judo star Teddy Riner and 400-meter sprinter Marie-José Pérec lit the Olympic cauldron, which was attached to a giant balloon, it began to float.
The Olympic flame ended the night hovering over the city of Paris – one last chance for the cameras to capture the incredible Parisian landscape.
CNN’s Sandee LaMotte contributed to this report.
