From Celine Dion’s powerful comeback to mysterious side characters, here’s a rundown of some of the most unforgettable moments from Paris.
The Paris Olympics had a rough, rainy start. In the hours leading to the opening ceremony, a double whammy of inauspicious events dampened the excitement (literally): wet, gloomy weather and, worse, sabotaged trains.
France’s high-speed rail network was hit Friday with acts of vandalism including arson attacks, paralyzing travel to Paris from across the rest of France and Europe. Making matters worse is the heavy rains that drenched the participants and spectators of the opening ceremony that made history even before its was staged by breaking traditions—making the actual host city a sprawling open-air venue.
Still, years of planning helped pull the ceremony through, making it one of the most indelible in the history of the modern Olympics.
Sure, it is the Olympics, but it is being held in Paris, the one city in the world that has captured the imagination of most people. Of course it wouldn’t be upstaged! In fact, it’s the star of the show together with the 10,500 athletes who paraded (or should it be sailed?) down the Seine, each one proud to be representing their nation in the pinnacle of sporting events.
Thomas Jolly, the show’s creative director sure knew how to make the City of Light shine even brighter, with help from its iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre.
The POST gathers here some of the most unforgettable moments from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics—from those that took our breath away to those that made us misty-eyed.
Celine Dion closes the ceremony
with a powerful comeback
What better way to announce a comeback than by closing the world’s biggest event from the Eiffel Tower. Nearly two years after revealing that she has been suffering from stiff person syndrome, Dion belted Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour (“Hymn to Love”) to punctuate the roughly four-hour spectacle. Her appearance had been teased for weeks, but organizers and Dion’s representatives had refused to confirm whether she was performing.
For her performance, the French-Canadian’s shimmering pearl outfit was designed by Dior, the Associated Press reports. The song choice, on the other hand, couldn’t be more perfect for its strong sports connection: Piaf wrote it about her lover, boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash soon after she wrote the song.
Dion’s triumphant and powerful return is one for the books. Watch it here.
Lady Gaga opens the ceremony
with aplomb
After weeks of speculation, Lady Gaga performed the first musical act at the opening ceremony—even if it was all prerecorded. The singer’s representatives have yet to issue a response to a request for comment about why her performance was prerecorded, but an Associated Press reporter saw the Grammy-and-Oscar award-winning performer warming up three hours before the show.
Lady Gaga sang her way down the steps of the Seine, belting out Mon Truc en Plumes, in a tribute to French ballet dancer, actor, and singer Zizi Jeanmaire. Gaga’s appearance was a bit of a surprise—she was not listed on the program provided to media but rumors about her performing swirled in the days leading to the event.
A mystery hooded torchbearer steals the show
Who is that guy? That was the question on everybody’s mind when a mysterious torchbearer appeared in a hooded, masked costume. Some thought it was a character from the Assassin’s Creed film and video game franchise. Or perhaps it’s Erik the Phantom from The Phantom of the Opera?
It’s actually both and more, as per reports. The mystery torchbearer was inspired by a number of characters from French culture: Belphégor, the Iron Mask, the Phantom of the Opera, Fantomas, Ezio from Assassin’s Creed, and Arsène Lupin. The torchbearer ran atop the Musee d’Orsay, sprinted past Pont Neuf, rode a boat with two kids holding the flame, and later even cartwheeled down a red runway.
And who is that armored horsewoman?
Another character (performer doesn’t seem to be the best word here) who tickled the imagination of spectators was an armored horsewoman who rode an equally glittering metal horse—which became an actual living equine afterwards.
The horsewoman, Gendarmerie noncommissioned officer Floriane Issert, was meant to be “the representation of the Olympic spirit and of Sequana.” She and her majestic horse passed under successive bridges as dove wings unfurled to symbolize peace.
A star-studded torch lighting
The lighting of the Olympic torch was a celebration of some of the world’s biggest sports icons, both known to the world and not, and whether French or not, as per a USA Today report.
There’s Zinedine Zidane of Team France which won the 1998 World Cup. Rafael Nadal, who despite being Spanish, has a career defined by his 14 French Open titles. Then there’s Tony Parker, whose success with the San Antonio Spurs opened doors to the NBA for French players, the most recent of which is French sensation Victor Wembanyama.
On his leg of the relay, which included a boat ride, Nadal was joined by Serena Williams, who won three of her 23 Grand Slam titles at the French Open; Carl Lewis, a four-time Olympic champion at the 1984 Games; and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who scored the first perfect 10 in Olympic history at the 1976 Games.
But the lesser-known athletes were the ones who tugged at the heartstrings, such as Charles Coste, who turned 100 earlier this year and is France’s oldest living Olympian, who took the torch on his wheelchair.
Is that a hot air balloon? It is—but it’s also the Olympic Cauldron
Much to the surprise of many, the Cauldron itself is a ring of fire carried by a hot-air balloon instead of the usual ground-bound cauldron used at most Summer and Winter Games. The Cauldron is located in the Jardin des Tuileries, aligned with the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and the Arc de Triomphe.
This unique choice is a nod to the first hydrogen-powered flight of a balloon, which took place in the Tuileries in 1783. Created by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the cauldron is meant as a symbol of liberty — an element in the French national slogan of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”
According to reports by the Associated Press, the ring is 7 meters in diameter (about 23 feet), and the balloon is 30 meters (about 100 feet) tall and 22 meters (about 72 feet) wide.
Paris as the main character—even from outer space
Paris lived up to its moniker the “City of Light,” during the opening ceremony, with the city lit up in almost every nook and cranny, and the International Space Station released photos to prove it.
And with the French capital always exuding main character vibes, any place can be a stage, be it the Seine’s banks or any of its picturesque bridges or age-old buildings. Paris is in itself the grandest open-air stage.
And of course, the athletes as co-stars on equal billing
For the first time in Olympic history, organizers held the Opening Ceremony outside a stadium, with about 10,500 athletes from 206 participating countries parading on board dozens of boats, instead of the customary walking inside a stadium.
Good luck—or as they say in French, bonne chance— to our dear Pinoy athletes! We are already proud of you!
