2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: Highlights, celebrities, analysis, more

The Olympic flame then makes its way into the hands of iconic athletes in French history before it is passed to one final pair, Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner.

The Olympic cauldron is shaped like a hot-air balloon and looks astonishing when lit.

And then for the grand finale...the one and only Celine Dion performs underneath the Olympic cauldron.

Zinedine Zidane, who started off this ceremony, passes off the Olympic torch to none other than...Rafael Nadal.

Nadal joins a boat with Serena Williams, Nadia Comăneci and Carl Lewis.

A horsewoman gallops along the Seine to deliver the Olympic flag to the podium. The flag is then raised to the sound of the Olympic anthem, which is performed by 60 singers and 90 musicians from the French National Orchestra.

And then the speeches begin. Tony Estanguet, who is a three-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion and three-time European champion in single canoe slalom starts them off.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach follows Estanguet. Bach was an Olympic champion in fencing (team foil) at the 1976 Montreal Games.

The Parade of Nations is complete! But not before we wave hello to Team USA!

The ceremony continues into the ninth of 12 sequences, the darkness stage. This stage featured a performance of ‘Imagine’ by Juliette Armanet.

Steph Curry, Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson are excited for the Opening Ceremony!

There are about eight more boats remaining in the parade. The U.S. is coming up!

The last time that it rained during the Opening Ceremony of a summer Olympics was in Helsinki in 1952.

The athletes have their ponchos though and remain all smiles throughout the parade!

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As we await to see the U.S. team, a reminder that the countries are appearing in alphabetical order according to the host country’s language.

Future host countries also traditionally walk at the end. Because the U.S. is hosting the 2028 Olympics, viewers can expect to see the American athletes at the very end of the parade, right before France.

The rain is starting to come down in Paris but the ceremony goes on!

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Imagine what Simone Biles must have thought when she got this Facetime from her family.

Basketball star A’ja Wilson has Steph Curry to thank for her accessories at the Opening Ceremony.

That’s teamwork.

The official mascot, the Phryges, of the Games is dressed in pink for the occasion!

The Phrygian cap is a symbol of freedom, revolution and the French Republic. It has served as a symbol of many major events throughout French history dating back centuries.

Any guesses on who is carrying the torch?!

After much speculation about who would be performing during the Opening Ceremony, none other than Lady Gaga performed “Mon Truc En Plume” on the banks of the Seine.

This is the signature song of the late Zizi Jeanmaire, a beloved entertainer in France.

We can expect to see 12 tableaus during the Opening Ceremony, otherwise known as artistic sequences. Below are the names of each scene:

1. Enchanté

2. Synchronicity

3. Liberty

4. Equality

5. Fraternity

6. Sisterhood

7. Sportsmanship

8. Festivity

9. Darkness

10. Solidarity

11. Solemnity

12. Eternity

The delegations will appear in French alphabetical order.

Who better to break down the numbers than Steve Kornacki?

For information on how to watch the entire Opening Ceremony, click here.

Viewers can watch on Peacock here.

The rain has stopped just in time!

Serena Williams takes the red carpet.

With less than 30 minutes until the start of the Opening Ceremony, it’s important to note the firsts that we are about to experience.

This ceremony marks the first time ever that an Opening Ceremony is not being held in a stadium. This is also the first time that an Opening Ceremony is open to hundreds of thousands of spectators.

From the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Trocadero, athletes will cross Paris from east to west, passing numerous monuments along the way.

A moment for the flag bearer fit!

LeBron James and Coco Gauff are the flagbearers for the U.S. in the Opening Ceremony.

James, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, becomes the third basketball player to lead the U.S. delegation. Dawn Staley and Sue Bird were the flag bearers at the 2004 Athens Games and 2021 Tokyo Games, respectively.

Olympic rookie Gauff is the first tennis player to be a U.S. flag bearer. At 20 years old, she is also the youngest American ever to hold the honor.

Snoop Dogg, always the fashion expert, is ready for the Opening Ceremony!

As we prepare for the Opening Ceremony to start, here are some fast facts:

- 85 boats

- 320,000 spectators

- 200 rehearsal days

- 205 delegations

- 6,800 attending athletes

- 71 giant screens, 1,000 loudspeakers and 100+ cameras

- 1,800 costumes

- 3.7 mile route

Now that we know what to expect from the upcoming spectacle, who but these three to tell us what to expect at the Opening Ceremony?

We are just over an hour out from the Opening Ceremony so let’s familiarize ourselves with the parade route along the Seine!