Paris Olympics 2024 LIVE: Kicks Off With Lavish Boat Parade, Celine Dion Musical Performance | N18G

Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony LIVE: Stunning VIEWS Of Olympics Opening Ceremony | Lady Gaga Olympics | CNBC TV18 Video Source: Reuters The final musical number of the ceremony came from Céline Dion, who performed “Hymne A L’Amour,“ a song made famous by the legendary French singer Édith Piaf. It was Dion’s first public performance since she announced her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022. After a global pandemic and in the shadow of at least three ongoing wars, the 2024 Paris Olympic Games kicked off Friday with a spectacular open-air opening ceremony that aimed to provide relief, positivity and perhaps even unity in a world riven by tension. The ambitious celebration was unlike any other in the 128-year history of the modern Olympiad. Instead of parading inside a stadium, around 10,500 athletes sailed in a flotilla of 94 boats down Paris’ iconic Seine River. The uniformed athletes cheered and waved to spectators, keeping the mood boisterous despite the rainy skies. The ceremony featured a series of high-energy song-and-dance acts, including a cabaret medley from Lady Gaga (who belted out the 1960s-era tune “Mon Truc En Plumes“), a performance from Mali-born French pop star Aya Nakamura, and a tribute to “Les Misérables.“ Meanwhile, a hooded and masked figure darted across the rooftops of Paris with the Olympic torch in tow. Paris has witnessed numerous memorable moments in history – some of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 venues are a testament to that – but the sight of 85 boats carrying 6,800 athletes along the Seine towards the sparkling Eiffel Tower and the ascent of the Olympic flame into the sky on a cauldron attached to a hot air balloon is not one the French capital is likely to forget. The City of Lights became a sports stadium on the night of the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on Friday (26 July), the River Seine – its track, the quays – spectator stands, and the historic landmarks along the way – silent witnesses to the vibrant celebration full of flags, feathers and raindrops. The river parade and artistic performances weaved through the heart of Paris towards the Trocadero where the world came together to hear the magic words from French President Emmanuel Macron: “I declare the Paris Olympic Games open“. It began the night’s journey with a trip to the French metro in the hands of French football legend Zinedine Zidane. Handed over to a masked torchbearer, it then flitted across Parisian rooftops and snaked through the empty halls of the Louvre Museum, until making its way back to the World Cup winner who carried the flame into the Trocadero. After clapping hands with some of the lucky fans in the stands, Zidane passed the flame to Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal who has marked his own spot in French history with a 14-time winning record at Roland Garros. A boat packed with international sports superstars - Nadal, Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci - who have 20 Olympic gold medals between them, then carried the flame to the Louvre from where it continued its trip to the Jardin des Tuileries in the company of 18 Olympians and Paralympians. #olympicgames #parisolympics #olympics2024 #ladygaga #celinedion #sportsnews #cnbctv18