The Paris Olympics 2024 will kick off next Friday, July 26, 2024, in a memorable and spectacular opening ceremony.
According to the ceremony’s organizers, Paris Olympic Games 2024 will begin with an unprecedented opening ceremony alongside the river Seine, in a bold and unique show.
Extraordinary Show
The ceremony’s organizers said that the opening ceremony will be a “joyful, daring and atypical show” featuring artists and athletes who will celebrate the Paris Olympics 2024, reported Reuters.
Unlike the previous events, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 will not be in a stadium. Instead, it will take place along the city’s main artery: the Seine. In a huge parade, around 94 boats will carry thousands of athletes, with boats for each national delegation.
The boats will sail on a 6km route along the river, and will be equipped with cameras to capture a close view of the athletes for television and online viewers. Over 300,000 spectators will be watching from the riverbanks, in addition to hundreds of millions expected to watch on TV or on social media.
Speaking to reporters, Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee, said: “We know the importance of the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games. It’s key for the athletes, it’s key for the country which organizes it.”
He added: “That’s why, from the start, we have been very ambitious because we really want this opening ceremony to embody all the ambition of Paris 2024: daring, atypical Games, which shows the best of France.”
Olympics 2024 Parade Route
The Olympic Games 2024 opening ceremony will be the largest in Olympic Games history. Eighty giant screens and speakers will broadcast the event, allowing everyone across the French capital to enjoy the stunning ceremony.
The river parade, carrying 10,500 athletes, will sail from east to west following the course of the Seine. It will depart from Austerlitz bridge, passing by the Île Saint Louis and the Île de la Cité islands at the heart of the city, sailing by Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and finally arriving near the Eiffel Tower.
The parade will pass by several monuments and landmarks, in a show featuring music, light and dance performances.
With regards to this, Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, said: “We’ll have some clichés (about France) but also we are going to share what is Paris, what is France today.”
Secret Details
So far, details about the participating artists, and who will last carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron, have not been revealed. The ceremony’s artistic team said they are rehearsing in private to keep all the details secret.
On this matter, Jolly said: “About the artists (who will take part in the ceremony), we are not going to say anything but it will be a beautiful night with a lot of important people who have something to celebrate with us about Paris.”
Jolly revealed that the show’s duration will be three and three-quarter hours. He added that it will be “a large fresco which will interweave the parade of athletes, the artistic paintings and the elements of protocol which are staged.”
Similarly, the ceremony’s choreographer, Maud Le Pladec, said that the show will be a mix of everything. “This is a popular show, but (you’ll see) how we can make it chic also, how we can make it à la Francaise.”
Who Will Attend?
According to the organizers, the opening ceremony will see the attendance of more than 100 heads of state and government, as well as over 300,000 spectators. Moreover, 10,500 athletes will participate and about 222,000 people will get free invitations.
Being held in the heart of Paris, around 45,000 police will be deployed to secure the opening ceremony, including special intervention forces, snipers on the top of buildings, and anti-drone system.
Further security measures are in place, including banning cars from the area, with few exceptions, requiring spectators and local residents to carry permits on a QR code to approach the area from July 18, closing nearby metro stations and bridges, and banning planes to fly over Paris.
The Olympics 2024 will run from July 26 to August 11, while the Paralympics will take place from August 28 to September 8.
Saudi Participation in Olympics 2024
Ten athletes will represent Saudi Arabia in the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The Saudi athletes will compete in show jumping, taekwondo, athletics, and swimming.
The prominent taekwondo athlete, Donia Abu Taleb, is the first Saudi woman to qualify for the Olympics.
In show jumping, four Saudi equestrians represent the Kingdom: Abdullah Al-Sharbatly, Khaled Almobty, Abdul Rahman Al-Rajhi and Ramzy Al-Duhami.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Tolo, Hussein Al Hazam and Hibah Mohammed are competing in athletics, whereas Mashael Al-Ayed and Zaid Al-Sarraj are competing in swimming.
This edition features an increased female participation, in line with Saudi Arabia’s increased efforts to promote women’s rights and expand their participation in various fields.
