Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a typically rainy opening ceremony on Friday. But the weather did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the athletes or the crowds. While athletes could be seen holding umbrellas as they rode on boats, fans filled the banks and bridges of the Seine banks in Paris and cheered from their balconies.
The opening ceremony began with former French footballer Zinedine Zidane holding the Olympic flame in a pre-recorded video. Zidane is seen running through a Paris traffic jam as he hands the flame to a group of children on the metro who find their way to a boat, and the broadcast then switches to a real-time view from the River Seine.
Singer, songwriter and actress Lady Gaga stunned everyone with her performance at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She performed on the banks of the Seine in the French capital. Gaga is seen wearing a stylish black feathered corset. Gaga performed Zizi Jeanmaire's 'Mon Truc en Plumes'.
Meanwhile, a hooded torchbearer reminiscent of a character from Assasin's Creed franchise was seen stopping by the Notre Dame and witnessing the disappearance of ‘Mona Lisa’ before passing the torch to Zidane. It was later confirmed that the masked character's costume has been inspired by characters who left a mark on the French Culture including main character from “Phantom of Opera”, Ezio from “Assassin's Creed”, and Arsene Lupin.
Celine Dion made a grand comeback on Friday, performing at the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony and concluding the event from the Eiffel Tower.
Almost two years after disclosing her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Dion delivered a powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” (“Hymn to Love”) as the finale of the approximately four-hour event. Her participation had been speculated about for weeks, but both organizers and Dion's team had kept her performance a secret.
