PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 21: Spectators view the Eiffel Tower and Olympic rings along the Seine river on July 21, 2024 in Paris, France. The city is gearing up to host the XXXIII Olympic Summer Games from July 26 to Augusst 11. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 10,500 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). This will start the ceremony, not mark the end of it, another break from tradition.
What time does the opening ceremony start?
The ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST and is expected to last more than three hours.
Where is the opening ceremony being held?
The parade starts at the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes and follows the course of the Seine from east to west. It makes its way around two islands in the center of the city before passing under several bridges and gateways. Athletes aboard the boats will get glimpses of several Olympic venues including La Concorde Urban Park (3X3 basketball, breaking, BMX freestyle cycling, skateboarding), Invalides (archery, athletics — marathon finish, road cycling — time trial start) and the Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo). The parade ends at the Iena Bridge, which links the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine to the Trocadéro district on the right bank. The ceremony’s finale is at the Trocadéro. There, among other ceremonial procedures, French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver opening remarks.
How can I watch the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will air on NBC and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympic platforms — NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app.
A preview will air on NBC at noon EST/9 a.m. PST, with live coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST/10:30 a.m. PST and an enhanced prime-time encore at 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST.
A visitor strolls past a “Paris” sign that is reflected in the glass wall of the Montparnasse tower observation deck as the Eiffel Tower stands in the background ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Children play at a splash fountain area near signage for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Nice, France. Nice will host six soccer matches during the summer games. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
FILE – Police check the public for credentials to enter a security perimeter near the Eiffel Tower ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 20, 2024, in Paris. Three days before the start of the Olympics, France’s Interior Minister has hailed the country’s law enforcement for their hard work in making the Paris Games safe for 10,500 athletes and millions of visitors. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)
A couple stand next to a security fence placed around Notre Dame cathedral ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Bangladeshi tourist Rushnia Nur Rayfa stands in front of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Officers from the National Police Intervention Force stand watch outside Sacre Coeur of Montmartre Basilica, ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 22, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A couple embraces in the street as the flag of France hangs from a restaurant ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A worker drives a golf cart inside the competition venue for BMX freestyle ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Athletes play at the Tour Eiffel stadium that will host the Beach Volleyball on the Champs-de-Mars, at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Wednesday July 24 2024. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
A woman from Mexico poses in the courtyard of the Louvre museum, which is outside the security perimeter set up for the Olympic Games, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A. Soldier takes a photo of the Eiffel Tower as he patrols at the Trocadero plaza Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A cyclist argues with police officers near Le Louvre museum at the security perimeter set up for the Olympic Games, Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Paris. A special kind of iron curtain came down across central Paris on Thursday, with the beginning of an Olympic anti-terrorism perimeter along the banks of the River Seine sealing off a kilometers-long (miles-long) area to Parisians and tourists who hadn’t applied in advance for a pass. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Spectator seats line the Seine river in front of the Musee d’Orsay ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, in Paris. Organizers have planned a parade of about 10,000 athletes through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route at sunset on July 26. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
FILE – Police vans park outside the National Assembly during the second round of the legislative elections in Paris, Sunday, July 7, 2024. France’s far right leader Marine Le Pen says the country is “in a quagmire” after the chaotic legislative elections have produced a fragmented parliament and a deeply divided society as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games at the end of the month. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)
Soldiers patrol on the Seine river, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Paris. France’s armed forces held a demonstration of the security measures planned on the River Seine, both in and out of the water, to make it safe for athletes and spectators during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Organizers have planned a parade of about 10,000 athletes through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route at sunset on July 26. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Soldiers patrol on a footbridge over the Seine river ,Wednesday, July 17, 2024 in Paris. France’s armed forces held a demonstration of the security measures planned on the River Seine, both in and out of the water, to make it safe for athletes and spectators during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Organizers have planned a parade of about 10,000 athletes through the heart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route at sunset on July 26. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard)
Victor, left, and his girlfriend, Florence, talk along the Seine River at dusk as the spire of the Notre Dame Cathedral rises in the background ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
A member of the team from Britain works out on the pommel horse during a gymnastic training session at Bercy Arena ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
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A visitor strolls past a “Paris” sign that is reflected in the glass wall of the Montparnasse tower observation deck as the Eiffel Tower stands in the background ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
About 220,000 invited and security-screened spectators are expected to fill the upper tiers of the Seine’s banks, and an additional 104,000 paying spectators will watch from the lower riverside and around the Trocadéro plaza.
Those in Paris who could not get tickets will be able to watch the ceremony on 80 giant screens set up throughout the city.
Will the train sabotage impact the opening?
A major disruption of train traffic plunged Paris into uncertainty only hours before the scheduled start of the ceremony.
There were no immediate indication that what a government official was calling a series of “criminal fires” near the tracks would impact the start.
Who is performing at the opening ceremony?
In addition to the athletes who will participate in the parade, 3,000 dancers, artists and other athletes will be featured in the opening and closing ceremonies. Most of the entertainment acts remain under wraps. NBC News reported that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga have arrived in Paris amid speculation that one or both of the pop singers will perform at the opening ceremony.
What happens if it rains at the opening ceremony?
Well, onlookers and athletes will get wet since there is no roof over the Seine.
According to the latest weather forecast, there is a small chance of rain. Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting overcast skies from midday onward, with light rain expected in the morning. The weather should improve in the afternoon, but the weather service warned Thursday that showers could hit the Paris region in the evening.
If it rains, the ceremony is expected to go on as planned.
