Paris plans spectacular Olympic opening

A spectacular opening ceremony is planned for the Olympic Games in Paris on July 26th in the middle of a river.

July 03, 2024

From: dpa

The focus is on the Seine, on which the athletes will sail in 94 boats equipped with cameras past the crowds of spectators on the banks and on the bridges. The fleet will be visible on eighty large screens, and 1,5 billion people will be watching the spectacle on TV. If the event has to be cancelled for safety reasons, there are options.

The route runs for six kilometers from east to west. The athletes - 10.500 from 206 nations will take part in the games, although not all of them will be at the opening ceremony - will be taken by bus from the large Olympic Village in Saint-Denis and the other smaller ones to the Pont d'Austerlitz, where they will board the boats. The journey goes past the Île Saint Louis and Île de la Cité, past venues and sights to Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower.

Not much is known about alternative plans yet. A celebration on the Trocadero Square with a view of the Eiffel Tower is being considered, or moving the opening to the Stade de France.