Olympics Games Paris 2024 Opening ceremony: Schedule, Timings, Where to watch

The Paris Olympics is breaking traditions and tearing down stadium walls to offer fans a unique and original experience for this year's opening ceremony.

On July 26th, over 300,000 spectators are expected to attend the event. For the first time, the world will witness an opening ceremony not held in a stadium.

Ceremony at the heart of the city

In a historic first for the Games, the opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. While 2017 gave a glimpse of the future when thousands of sports enthusiasts descended on the River Seine in their boats as part of Paris's bid to host the 2024 Olympics, on July 26th, 10,500 athletes boarding more than 150 boats will cruise through the center of Paris for a groundbreaking opening ceremony.

While planning to add a French flavor to this year's Olympics, France didn’t have to think twice about conducting the event at the artery of the city—the River Seine. The public will line the banks of the Seine, stretching over 6 kilometers, while the parade of athletes moves down the river with boats equipped with cameras assigned for each delegation. The parade will conclude at the Trocadéro, where the remaining protocols and final shows are set to take place. The Jardin des Tuileries will host the famous Olympic flame of this year's Olympic Games.

“Paris is trying to rethink the Olympics with an exceptional event that will make the country proud,” revealed Tony Estanguet, the President of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, in an interview with France 24. “The opening ceremony has to represent this ambition for a different, creative, and spectacular Olympics for the people.”

While each spectator needs a ticket to occupy the lower quays, the upper quays will be open to the public free of cost, subject to prior registration. The opening ceremony is expected to host more than 300,000 fans scattered all over the city of Paris. While initial plans were to include more than 600,000 attendees, the number was reduced to half due to additional concerns about security and transportation.

A one-of-a-kind experience for fans across the Globe

The Olympic opening ceremony is typically watched by more than 1 billion people worldwide. This year, the show will feature holograms on the water, dancers on rooftops, and aerial displays. The river parade will also offer a fabulous trip along the iconic monuments of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the famous Pont Alexandre III bridge.

Security measures

In April 2024, it was announced that all buildings with a view of the Seine would receive additional anti-terrorism protection. Several areas near the Seine River, including metro stations and adjacent museums such as the Louvre, Orsay, and the Museum of Decorative Arts, will be closed. More than 40,000 police officers will be deployed across the capital, and anti-drone systems will be in place.

With the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, France is already on high alert. In case of any unforeseen events, there are backup plans to conduct the ceremony only at the Trocadéro or at the Stade de France.

Details about the participating artists, the final torchbearer, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the Games have been kept secret. The ceremony's artistic team has been rehearsing privately to maintain secrecy, adding more elements of surprise to the event.

While the organizing team will have to deal with various scenarios like the current of the river, the resonance of the bridges, and preserving the heritage, everyone is working around the clock to celebrate the return of the Olympics to the French capital after a century of waiting.

Schedule of 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony is scheduled to start at 11 PM IST, with PV Sindhu and Achanta Sharath Kamal as the Indian flagbearers at the event.

Where to watch the opening ceremony

Jio Cinema and the Sports18 TV network will stream and broadcast the Paris Olympics opening ceremony for free in India.

All you need to know about the Indian athletes at the Paris Olympics 2024:

Paris 2024 Olympics: Click here for the complete schedule for all the Indian athletes

Paris 2024 Olympics: Click here to view the list of Indians who have qualified for the Olympics.