An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2024)

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (1)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2)Paris 2024/Florian Hulleu

With an anticipated 10,000 athletes parading through the heart of Paris, Friday's Olympic opening ceremony promises a spectacle par excellence.

Many of the details have been kept secret, so expect plenty of surprises.

The ceremony begins at 18:30 BST, and will last just under four hours.

Here are some of the things to watch out for during the curtain-raiser, which you can watch live on the BBC.

1. A free-flowing ceremony

For the first time, the ceremony will take place not in a stadium, but in the heart of a city. The world's Olympic teams are set to parade along the River Seine in boats, watched by about 300,000 spectators in a display directed by Thomas Jolly, the ceremony's artistic director.

The flotilla will carry more than 10,000 athletes along a 6km (3.7 mile) route along the waterway, which has been under intense scrutiny for its cleanliness.

Organisers hope Friday's spectacle is free-flowing, amid a mammoth security operation that will involve tens of thousands of police.

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that a plan B (and a plan C) had been put together in case the challenges proved insurmountable.

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (3)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (4)

2. The glorious City of Light

The boats will pass some of the city's best-known bridges and landmarks on their journey during the evening - including Notre-Dame cathedral and, naturally, the Eiffel Tower - before reaching the Trocadéro.

It will conclude as the sun sets over the city's west, which organisers hope will further solidify the legend of the City of Lights. Games president Tony Estanguet has promised the timing will make the show "more sublime, with a truly poetic dimension".

(And by the way - theories differ as to whether the French capital earned its nickname as a luminous centre of intellect and creativity, or due to the way it reportedly embraced street lighting early in the technology's development.)

3. Cameras on every boat

Organisers are promising cameras on each boat to show the stars up close.

But what remains to be seen is exactly how this arrangement scales up and down for Olympic delegations of different sizes.

The USA, for example, is sending just shy of 600 competitors while some smaller nations are being represented by just a single competitor each.

Dozens of vessels will be used, with help enlisted from local boat firms.

The spotlight will be shone on those athletes given the job of carrying their team's flag. A pair of British Olympic veterans - diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover - have been given that responsibility for Team GB.

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (5)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (6)Paris 2024/Florian Hulleu

4. Possible rows over music

Jolly has signed up 3,000 performers - including musicians and 400 dancers on bridges - though he's remained tight-lipped about who the famous names are.

It has been suggested that French-Malian R&B star Aya Nakamura could be among the musical acts, as the world's most-streamed French-language artist.

That remains unconfirmed, and has proven unpopular with the French far-right, which has argued that her music owes more to Africa and the US than to France. Nakamura was prompted to reply to one group: "What do I owe you? Nothing."

There's been some speculation that Canadian star Céline Dion - who sings in French and English - could perform, after she was seen in the French capital earlier this week. Again, nothing is confirmed, but a performance would represent a comeback for Dion, who cancelled shows after revealing in 2022 that she had a rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome.

Lady Gaga, too, has been spotted going through a routine on some stairs along the River Seine, so we can be pretty confident that she is going to feature.

But Daft Punk fans hoping to "get lucky" with a performance from the French duo were left disappointed when the act shot down any rumours they'd take part.

5. A mystery torchbearer lighting up the show

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (7)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (8)IOPP/Getty Images

The Olympic torch travelled to the French capital from Greece in a massive relay that began more than three months ago. As part of its journey, the torch was briefly transported on the world’s longest rowing boat - the 24-seat Stampfli Express.

As for who gets the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron - tradition dictates that the identity of the final torchbearer stays a secret until the big televised reveal.

That duty has previously fallen to the likes of Muhammad Ali in Atlanta in 1996 and to Aboriginal sprinter Cathy Freeman in Sydney four years later.

Among those who've carried the torch so far are French former footballer Thierry Henry and judo star Romane Dicko. Rapper Snoop Dogg will also have a role in carrying the torch in the final stages of the relay before the opening ceremony begins.

6. A bold array of looks

With the athletes' parade always comes a bold array of looks - not least when the Olympics are taking place this time in one of the world's style capitals.

Team USA and Team GB will be kitted out by Ralph Lauren and Ben Sherman respectively. Other eye-catching outfits come courtesy of Stella Jean, whose designs for Haiti are designed to project a vibrant image of the Caribbean nation.

The event's organisers say some 3,000 unique costumes have been made for both the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies in a secretive workshop near Paris. Many will be made of recycled materials as the Games looks to stress its green ethos.

The woman stitching together this part of the visual spectacle is Daphné Bürki, who says she has been getting ready for the "biggest show of the 21st century four times over".

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (9)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (10)Stella Jean/Eugenio D'Orio

7. Royalty - sporting and literal

Keep your eyes peeled for sporting superstars among the athletes' contingent.

But we also expect to see celebrities and dignitaries of all sorts in the crowd, with more than 100 heads of state and government due to attend, according to Reuters.

US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, American singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen, have already been spotted but could there be bigger names to come?

Queen Elizabeth II appeared at the London 2012 curtain-raiser - and not just in her iconic filmed appearance with Daniel Craig.

How to watch on the BBC

The opening ceremony will be shown live from 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

You can tune in to radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 19:00 BST.

There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app bringing you the best of the event from Paris.

Paris 2024 Olympics

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2024)

FAQs

How to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics? ›

How to watch the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremony today: Livestream options, more
  1. Watch the opening ceremony on Peaco*ck.
  2. $8 per month at Peaco*ck.
  3. Watch the Olympics on Sling TV.
  4. Start your FuboTV free trial.
  5. $77 per month at Hulu.
  6. $56 with coupon at Amazon.
Jul 26, 2024

What is the significance of the opening ceremony of the Olympics? ›

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games traditionally offers the host city the opportunity to celebrate sporting excellence and international unity while also presenting to the world a flattering portrait of its own nation, informed by its own culture.

Why didn't people like the opening ceremonies? ›

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics has drawn significant backlash for its depiction of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" with a "drag queen" performance, which many view as disrespectful to religious beliefs.

What did people think of the opening ceremonies in Paris? ›

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson tweeted the performance was "shocking and insulting." Mississippi-based telecommunications provider C-Spire pulled its advertising from the Olympics. The French Bishops' Conference said in a statement the scene was a "mockery and derision of Christianity."

Where can I watch the opening ceremony for free? ›

How to watch Olympics Opening Ceremony: quick links
  • US: NBC & USA on Peaco*ck ($7.99/month), Sling TV ($25 off first month), Fubo (one-week free trial)
  • UK: BBC iPlayer (Free)
  • Australia: 9Now (Free)
  • France: France.TV (Free)
  • Access streaming from anywhere via ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)
Jul 29, 2024

What channel is the opening ceremony on? ›

TV channel: NBC

As the host network for the Olympics, NBC will broadcast the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Why are there only five Olympic rings? ›

According to rule 8 of the Olympic Charter, the five interlaced rings of the Olympic symbol represent the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes at the games.

Do all athletes go to opening ceremony Olympics? ›

A traditional part of the opening ceremony starts with a "Parade of Nations", during which most participating athletes march into the stadium, delegation-by-delegation. It is not compulsory for athletes to participate in the opening ceremony.

How long does the Olympic opening ceremony last? ›

The opening ceremony will commence at 1:30 p.m. EST (7:30 p.m. in Paris), with NBC's television coverage starting at noon ET. The entire event is expected to last for four hours or more.

Why are people upset about the opening ceremony? ›

In one scene, drag queens and dancers lined a long table in an image that sparked controversy after some connected the moment with Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” portrait of Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles.

How many people watch olympics opening ceremony? ›

The 28.6 million is a huge jump over the 17 million who watched the kickoff of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, which were postponed a year by the pandemic and took place mostly without spectators. Paris' opening numbers also bettered the 2016 Rio ceremony by 8%, Deadline noted.

What celebrities are performing at the Olympics opening ceremony? ›

The events have been chockfull of A-listers—Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh, and many more among them. Over the weekend, Wicked co-stars Grande and Erivo took in both the Opening Ceremony and the gymnastics qualification round in style.

What was strange about the opening ceremony of the Olympics? ›

The Olympics opening ceremony was a bizarre fever dream that lost the plot, confused viewers, and then nailed the landing. There was a pastel pink rat, a decapitated Marie Antoinette, Lady Gaga, paintings from the Louvre coming to life, and the Minions. Celine Dion stole the show with a powerful closing song.

Was the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics a mess? ›

Unfortunately, that new thing was a mess. Some will blame the rain, which soaked the festivities for hours, adding an air of tragedy as athletes waved flags from within their ponchos. But even on a sunnier day, the ceremony would have served as an example of how not to stage a spectacle for live TV.

What is the significance of the opening closing ceremonies of the Olympics? ›

Through music, song, dance and fireworks, the opening and closing ceremonies invite people to discover the culture of the country in which the Games are taking place.

Can I watch the Olympics opening ceremony on Hulu? ›

The 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will air live on NBC. You can stream on Peaco*ck, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and FuboTV.

Is the opening ceremony on NBC? ›

How can you watch the opening ceremony? NBC will have 40 cameras capturing the action in Paris, and live coverage begins at noon ET. The ceremony will be broadcast on TV and streamed in digital format on NBC, Peaco*ck and NBC Olympics.

Can I watch the Olympic opening ceremony on Peaco*ck? ›

The complete Opening and Closing Ceremonies schedule, including TV listings, is also available on the NBC Olympics schedule page. All live streams are also available to watch on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices via the Peaco*ck, NBC and NBC Olympics apps.

Is the Olympics opening on TV? ›

Live streaming of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will be available on 9Now and Stan. The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will be broadcast live on the Network Nine TV channels in Australia.

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