How will the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in France take place?

2024-07-26 09:53:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Paris is ready to bring the sparkle and shine of the Olympics to millions of people with an opening ceremony on the River Seine, something that has never happened before.

Thus, this will be the first time that the Olympic Games will not start at the stadium.

About 85 boats will carry nearly 7,000 athletes, a six kilometer long parade on the Seine, in the heart of Paris.

Starting from the Austerlitz bridge, the ships will sail around the Notre-Dame cathedral, to then arrive near the Eiffel Tower, as well as under many other bridges around the center of the French capital.

The ceremony will start at 19:30 on Friday, July 26, and will last about three hours and 45 minutes.

What will we see?

The organizers have promised a ceremony like no other. They declare that they will use the historical monuments, the sky, the water and "there will be no unused bridge to release music, to dance or for other performances".

Around 80 giant screens across Paris will broadcast the entire ceremony, which will also feature dancers performing from the rooftops of buildings near the Seine.

In this ceremony, Paris, France and the Olympic Games will be celebrated, and there will be a parade of athletes, artistic performances and other points according to the protocol, said Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the opening ceremony.

Details of who will light the Olympic torch to mark the start of the Games, and which artists will participate, have been kept secret.

However, Lady Gaga and Celine Dion are known to be among the singers spotted in Paris, sparking rumors that they could be part of the ceremony.

French media have said that star Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French singer in the world, will be part of the ceremony.

Nakamura has been the target of racial abuse online since word first circulated that she would be able to attend the ceremony.

She sings in French, uses many localisms and her style is influenced by Indie music, mixed with American R'n'B and African rhythms.

A big unknown is related to the weather.

The current forecast is for cloudy weather, although the organizers have expected a golden sunset to make the ceremony even more magical.

Who will attend the ceremony?

The ceremony will be attended by over 80 state leaders and more than 300,000 spectators, the organizers said. The Olympic Games Committee said about 222,000 people won free seats, while 104,000 had to buy tickets.

The ships that will carry the athletes will be equipped with cameras to enable viewers from afar to see everything as if they were there, the committee said.

What about security?

Organizing the ceremony in the heart of Paris can be something fantastic to take pictures of, but it also poses a big challenge in terms of security.

About 2,000 security personnel and 45,000 policemen will be deployed to ensure the safety of the ceremony, including special intervention forces.

Snipers will be engaged on the roofs of buildings. The anti-drone system will also be activated.

Spectators and local residents will need a special permit and QR code to enter near the area where the ceremony will be held.

Car traffic will be prohibited, except for a few minor exceptions.

Nearby subway stations will be closed, as well as crossing some bridges.

Airplanes will not be able to fly over Paris - except for those that will be part of the ceremony.

The wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as security concerns at home, have put France on the highest security alert.

Officials have said there is no specific threat of terrorism at the ceremony.

The only potential threat could be from an attacker who could act alone, or even from any protests that could be held by environmental activists, those of the extreme right, the extreme left, or the pro-Palestinian movements.

A man was arrested in May in the French city of Saint-Etienne, suspected of planning an attack on behalf of the extremist group, the Islamic State, at the soccer stadium during the Olympics.

A right-wing supporter was arrested in eastern France in July on suspicion of plotting attacks during the Games./REL