Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony: date, how to watch and who is performing

Matthew Moore
·3 min read
A clock counting down to the Olympics in front of the Eiffel Tower
(Chesnot)

The 2024 Olympic Games will be kicking off at the end of the month and while we can't wait to cheer on athletes like Tom Daley,  Dina Asher-Smith and Jake Jarman as they chase sporting glory, we're also looking forward to theopening ceremony.

Opening ceremonies are always full of visual delights, who can forget the iconic 2012 Games which charted the history of our country and featured hilarious cameos from the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Daniel Craig and even the late Queen, who 'parachuted in' alongside the then James Bond star.

Japan used its Olympic opening ceremony to show how the world would be moving on past the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic while also containing plenty of references to its cultural history from its rich history of video games and traditional summertime festivals.

Olympic content

So, what will Paris do for its extravaganza of sporting excellence? Here's all we know about the opening ceremony…

When is the Opening Ceremony?

A silver, gold and bronze Olympic medal
The Olympic Games will soon be kicking off (Marc Piasecki)

The opening ceremony will kick off 2024's Olympic Games and the big day will be Friday 26 July. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 19:30 CEST, which means it'll be at 18:30 for our screens.

There will have been a little bit of sport ahead of the ceremony, with the football, rugby, handball and archery tournaments all beginning.

How to watch

A group of people on the side of the River Seine with the Eiffel Tower in the background
Preparations are underway for the ceremony (Catherine Steenkeste)

While some lucky people will no doubt have secured tickets to see their favourite athletes compete, many of us will be watching from our living rooms.

The BBC will be providing full coverage of the Olympics, and they have confirmed that viewers will be able to watch all events either on the TV or on the BBC Sports website and app. BBC Radio 5 Live will be handling coverage for radio stations.

Performances

While many Olympic opening ceremonies have taken place inside grand stadiums, Paris is going for an entirely different route this year, with its ceremony due to take place alongside the banks of the River Seine.

The athletes' procession will take place on boats, with each individual delegation having their own vessel and onboard cameras will allow audiences to get up close and personal. With the route following the Seine, fans can also expect to see some of the country's iconic landmarks such as Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.

A boat going underneath a bridge in Paris
The ceremony will feature a procession on boats (Chesnot)

As for the performances, show organisers are keeping these closely under wraps, but it has been confirmed that up to 3,000 artists and 400 dancers are scheduled to be taking part. "There won't be a single bridge in Paris without some dancers on it," quipped choreographer Maud Le Pladec quipped to reporters last month.

Daphné Bürki, the stylist and costume director for the games shared of her vision: "Each silhouette tells a story. We wanted a circular ceremony, with a mix of newly created pieces, vintage, upcycled pieces. The key word is 'mix': of generations between the designers, of style with inclusivity, and of sourcing with a lot of upcycling."

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