The 2024 Summer Olympics was off to a rollicking start in Paris on Friday, beginning with an innovative opening ceremony blending sports with fashion, art, politics and music. It was capped off by the long-awaited return of Celine Dion to the world stage.
But before she made her triumphant return, Paris gave the audience plenty of dazzling entertainment. For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony took place not in a stadium, but on water, upon Paris’ famous Seine River with 85 boats gliding down the waterway, carrying athletes from 206 nations, cheering and smiling despite the rainy weather. In keeping with tradition, Team USA’s boat —comprised of 594 athletes representing 46 states — was situated near the end of the procession. The United States will be hosting the next summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
The festivities began with French soccer legend Zinedine Zidane carrying the Olympic torch underground to the Métro subway before passing it off to a group of kids. The kids come upon a mysterious and masked ferryman who takes them down the river to the ceremony. A burst of blue, white, and red smoke — reflecting the colors of the French flag — then appeared over the Seine.
It’s this masked, hooded ferryman who becomes a torchbearer and an ongoing figure in the opening ceremony narrative as they traverse Paris. Torch in hand, the person leapfrogged across rooftops of Parisian buildings, dodged musket fire during a reenactment of the French Revolution and passed through hallways at the Louvre Museum. The masked figure eventually discovered the Mona Lisa has been stolen, which led to an adventure to try and retrieve it. The journey included galloping across the Seine on a glimmering horse and eventually delivering the Olympic flag.
Concurrent with the flotilla of athletes was a series of musical performances, starting with superstar Lady Gaga, who performed a rendition of Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes,” or “My Thing With Feathers.” Flanked by a group of backup dancers dressed in all black and carrying pink feather fans, a similarly befeathered Gaga sang and danced at the foot of the Seine. Following her performance, she took to her Instagram to share her thoughts.
“I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theatre,” the singer wrote. “Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music — I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth — Paris.”
“We rented pom poms from Le Lido archive—a real French cabaret theater,” Gaga explained. “We collaborated with Dior to create custom costumes, using naturally molted feathers. I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic. I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills — I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out! I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you — it’s a gift I’ll never forget! Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!”
French metal band Gojira delivered one of the most energetic performances of the ceremony — mixing music from the musical “Les Miserables,” rock-centric sounds and classical opera — from the Conciergerie, the residence of French kings in medieval times. The band stood on ledges outside the windows of the building while pyrotechnics lit up the foreground. Other apertures were filled with images of the famously guillotined French Queen Marie Antoinette holding her severed head. The segment was notably kicked off by the ringing of Notre Dame’s bells, marking the first time the bells have sounded since a 2019 fire ravaged the cathedral.
French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura was another headliner who lent her talents to the ceremony from a bridge across from the Seine. Dressed in a gilded feather outfit, the singer performed a version of her song, “Djadja” on a bridge across the Seine.
In a separate emotional tribute, Juliette Armanet sang “Imagine” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono — a song that has been performed at numerous Olympic ceremonies since the 1996 Atlanta, Georgia Games — atop a floating barge next to pianist Sofiane Pamart playing a piano engulfed in flames. As the song concluded, NBC displayed a message: “We stand and call for peace.”
Among the final torchbearers of the evening was Charles Coste, the oldest living French Olympic medalist. As noted by NBC, Coste is a centenarian born in 1924 — the last time France hosted the Olympics (before the Games were split between Summer and Winter). He earned his country a gold medal in 1948 when he won the team pursuit cycling event in London.
The evening culminated with the moment so many fans have been waiting for, Celine Dion‘s first public performance since halting her tour amid her struggles with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). Dion was first diagnosed with the rare and progressive neurological disorder in 2022 and has battled a litany of physical symptoms that have inhibited powerhouse vocal abilities from operating as usual. In June, Dion appeared before a New York audience at a screening of “I Am: Celine Dion,” an intimate documentary that revealed the depth of her health plight.
This was the second time the French-Canadian singer had headlined at the Olympic opening ceremony. Nearly 20 years ago, Dion sang her song, “The Power of the Dream,” at the 1996 Summer Games.
From the platform midway up the iconic Eiffel Tower, Dion — wearing a diamond-encrusted gown with glittering fringe — exuded strength and resilience as she belted out Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour,” or “Hymn to Love.” Arms outstretched to Olympians and her fans alike, Dion at several points during the song appeared to become emotional. She never faltered, however, and as her voice soared in the night, the Eiffel Tower — embossed with the five interlaced Olympic rings — glittered in the background.
Immediately following Dion’s performance, singer Kelly Clarkson — who, along with former NFL player Peyton Manning and sports commentator Mike Tirico served as NBC’s broadcast team for the ceremony — was emotionally overwhelmed. “People don’t know her story, what she’s been going through physically,” Clarkson eventually said.
“She’s a vocal athlete – she’s incredible.”
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