[Update - August 18: The opening ceremony is now available to watch online.]

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was chaotic, avant-garde, elegant, horny, camp and uplifting. I loved it.
It had plenty of references to French history and culture, and using the city of Paris as the main stage worked (even though I wasn’t convinced during the first hour or so).

No wonder David Guetta was upset he wasn’t asked to be part of the opening (or closing) ceremony. The artistic director Thomas Jolly and the musical director Victor Le Masne do not appear to be interested in satisfying mainstream tastes, and for that I applause them.

Waking up to news about security threats to the French rail system was a bit worrying, but glad everything carried on as planned (as far as we know anyway), even though I don’t think anyone anticipated so much rainfall on the day.

There was also a threat of a strike by the dancers who were taking part in the opening ceremony which got called off ‘after receiving a new pay offer”. Reminder to all institutions, please don’t be stingy with salaries.

When the teams from the different countries started appearing during the boat parade, I was confused why the countries weren’t in alphabetical order. I later learned “the National Olympic Committees are parading in French alphabetical order, with a few exceptions. Australia and the United States will parade at the end, right before hosts France, as the next two Olympic Games – Brisbane 2032 and Los Angeles 2028 – will be held in those countries.”

But I have a question, why is Taiwan represented as Chinese Taipei at the Olympics?

The athletes representing Algeria throwing flowers into the Seine as a tribute to the Agerians who drowned in the river after being shot in 1961 was quite moving.

It was also moving to see the small group of athletes representing Palestine. So many have been killed since the attack on Gaza last October “about 300 athletes, referees, coaches and others working in Gaza’s sports sector” according to this article, For Palestinian athletes, the Olympics is about more than sports.

The opening ceremony was told in 10 chapters:

Chapter 1: Enchanté / Delighted to Meet You
Chapter 2: Synchronicité / Synchronicity
Chapter 3: Liberté / Liberty
Chapter 4: Égalité / Equality
Chapter 5, Fraternité / Fraternity
Chapter 6: Sororité / Sisterhood
Chapter 7: Sportsmanship
Chapter 8: Festivité / Festivity
Chapter 9: Obscurité / Darkness
Chapter 10: Solidarité / Solidarity
Chapter 11: Solennité / Solemnity
Chapter 12: Éternité / Eternity

The decision to not hold it inside a stadium must have called for a team with strong organisational and logistical skills. I noticed there were screens dotted along the river showing the ceremony, but for anyone not watching the live broadcast, I imagine people on the ground were only able to feel engaged with only parts of the ceremony taking place in front of them. I also kept wondering can everyone hear the music as clearly as we are watching on television / online? Parts of the festival were also pre-recorded, so I wasn’t sure what was the experience for people watching live on the streets.

The weakest part of the ceremony for me was the “Nod to French Cinema”, it was a short segment that ended with the Minions!

The ceremony worked better when it started to get dark - Paris, River Seine and the overall aesthetics just looked better for television. By the second hour, when it was time for Chapter 8: Festivité / Festivity, the ceremony looked less chaotic and I found myself loving it.

Below are my favourite moments.
There were a lot of moving pieces and lots of rain. I’m surprised we didn’t see performers or athletes slip or fall. Hats off to all the camera operators, even if the remote controlled ones had water drops on the lenses.

The images are screen grabs from the broadcast and I’ve included a few of my own thoughts and quoted text from the Olympics Live Blog.

Chapter 2: Synchronicité / Synchronicity
One of my favourite track from the ceremony.

There’s the Notre Dame
Welcome to chapter two, Synchronicité, or “Synchronicity”. This tableau highlights the Olympic Games in Paris and the contributions of the people who have made these Games possible: the craftsmen and craftswomen, builders, and the public of Paris.
At the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, renovation works after a fire in the spire in 2019 are nearly complete. The restoration is due to reopen to the public at the end of this year.

Chapter 3: Liberté / Liberty
Performers dressed as a beheaded Marie Antoinette appearing in the windows of the Conciergerie, the building where she was imprisoned before her execution, was not something any of us expected to see.

More French touches as the Opening Ceremony continues
Continuing the theme of Frenchness, we have classical opera singer Marina Viotti and heavy metal band Gojira performing Ah, ça ira, a famous song sung by French revolutionaries.
That’s followed by Viotti, the Paris Symphony Orchestra, and its choir, singing the famous aria from Georges Bizet’s Carmen: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (also known as “La Habanera”).

Chapter 4: Égalité / Equality

This was a great middle finger to racist backlash against Aya Nakamura’s participation in the opening ceremony. Also, dad dancing.

Aya Nakamura takes the stage
Performing together are French mega pop star Aya Nakamura and the orchestra of the French Republican Guard, joined by 36 choristers from the French Army. They will perform Pookie, Djadja, as well as Charles Aznavour’s For Me Formidable and La Bohème.
This segment is being performed on the Pont des Arts, a bridge linking the Institut de France to the Louvre Museum, joining the academic world and the arts.

Chapter 8: Festivité / Festivity
This is when I found myself fully committed to the ceremony. The pearl-clutching backlash the following morning was despicable.

Time for some DJ music as the teams re-enter
We’re nearly there! Into Chapter 8, Festivity, which will see the final 70 delegations enter the Parade.
While the delegations enter, there is a DJ set and fashion show taking place on the Debilly Footbridge.
French DJ-producer Barbara Butch will spin a set, while young French designers get to show off their work on various celebrities, including Italian Paralympic fencer Bebe Vio

I was very much into the music, and here’s the playlist for Barbara Butch's DJ set:

Ça balance pas mal à Paris by Michel Berger & France Gall
Andy by Les Rita Mitsuko
DJ by Diam's
Histoire d'um soir – Bye bye les galères by Bibi Flash
Spacer by Sheila
Lady – Hear me tonight by Modjo
Intro by Alan Braxe & Fred Falke
Love Don't Let Me Go by David Guetta
L'Aziza by Daniel Balavoine
Chanson sur ma drôle de vie by Véronique Sanson
D.I.S.C.O by Ottawan
Besoin d'amour by France Gall
Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust
Kitsuné: Kass Limon by Jupiter & Kassav
Alexandrie Alexandra by Claude François
D.A.N.C.E by Justice
Signatune, Signatune (Thomas Bangalter Edit) by DJ Mehdi
Que je t'aime Johhny Hallyday
Midnight City by M8
The Final Countdown by Europe
Freed from Desire by Gala Rizzatto
Meet her at the Loveparade by Da Hool
Ride on Time by Black Box
Be My Lover by La Bouche
I Had a Dream by Nicky Doll
Bla Bla Bla (Abbentenza Mix) - Gigi D'Agostino
Stereo Love by Edward Maya and Vicki Jigulina
Sandstorm by Darude
It's a Rainy Day by Ice MC
Désenchantée (Remix Club) by Myléne Farmer
Louxor J'Adore by Philippe Katerine
Nu by Philippe Katerine

Note: The live blog including the following songs but they but weren’t played, which was a shame.

Je danse le Mia by IAM
Tombé pour la France by Etienne Daho
Voyage voyage by Desireless
L'amour à la plage by Niagara
Ça plane pour moi by Plastic Bertrand

Chapter 9: Obscurité / Darkness

We’re onto chapter 9, Obscurité – Darkness.
This segment reminds us of the fragility of our planet with the ground under the dancers "crumbling" away to reveal the troubles facing humanity…

Chapter 10: Solidarité / Solidarity
This looked very cool.

A metal horse appears in the ceremony
We’re onto Chapter 10: Solidarity.
A Gendarmerie officer on a metal horse, wearing a cape with the Olympic rings, rides along the parade route down the Seine.
The flags are now parading again
At the finish line of the route, the flags from all the delegations are now parading between the Trocadéro and the Eiffel Tower, carried by volunteers.
Meanwhile, along the route, dove wings are being unfurled as the rider gallops past on her metal horse.
All the while, we're getting images of the greatest moments in Olympic history to accompany this epic music.

Chapter 11: Solennité / Solemnity
I had no idea the president of Paris 2024 was hot.

It’s time for the protocol segment
And now, we’re hearing from the three-time Olympic champion Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024.
Addressing the athletes, he says:
"For the next 16 days, you will be the best version of humanity. You’ll remind us that the emotions of sport form a universal language that we all share. Until the 11th of August, we’ll be by your side.
"Your defeats will be our defeats. Your victories will be our victories. Your emotions will be our emotions."

I’m a sucker for a well choreographed light show and sound show, and I actually was hoping Jean Michel-Jarre would appear in this segment, but alas…
Nevertheless, the music accompanying the light show was awesome. It then transitioned to Supernature by Cerrone which turned into a disco light show (for a split second, cinephiles on Twitter, including me thought we were going to see a reenactment of the opening scene of Gaspar Noe’s Climax), whilst the torch was being taken down the Seine in a boat with Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci. (Serena Williams looked very uncomfortable on that boat.)

The Olympic Rings make their appearance
First designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1913, the Olympic Rings are perhaps the most recognisable symbol of the Olympic Games.
One by one, the rings on the Eiffel Tower are lit up. And we're treated to a light show from the tower itself.

Chapter 12: Éternité / Eternity
This was the most moving chapter, and the most moving final leg of the moving torch relay I can remember compared to past Olympics opening ceremonies.

The Éternité track is my other top favourite after Synchronicité, along with the smiling athletes and when the hug each other, the empty grounds of Jardin des Tuileries, Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and the Arc de Triomphe. Just beautiful. Moved me to tears.

And what a beautiful looking cauldron.

Mauresmo takes the flame
The boat's reached its destination and has docked.
Amélie Mauresmo takes the flame next. The retired French tennis player is a former world number one and is now the director of the French Open.

The torch continues its journey
Mauresmo hands it off to French basketball legend and former NBA star Tony Parker. The two of them are jogging past the Louvre and its pyramid.
Riner and Pérec light the cauldron
The whole group of torchbearers, which has now grown to 18 and made up of various Olympians and Paralympians, finally approaches the cauldron before handing the torch off to the final torchbearers:
Teddy Riner and Marie-José Pérec.
The Cauldron is located in the Jardin des Tuileries, aligned with the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées, and the Arc de Triomphe.
And what a cauldron it is! A ring of flames spanning seven metres in diameter. And there's a hot air balloon attached to it, 30 metres high! A nod to the first hydrogen-powered flight of a balloon, which took place in the Tuileries in 1783.
As it's lit, the balloon lifts the cauldron high into the Paris sky. What an image.

Followed by CELINE.DION. It was magnificent. THAT’S how you end an opening ceremony.

Céline Dion performs a comeback!
Look who it is! A year and a half after the Canadian singer withdrew from public engagements due to Stiff Person Syndrome, a neurological condition which causes muscle spasms, the legendary songstress is here in Paris.
And she’s here to perform, no less, Édith Piaf’s famous work, Hymne à l’amour (the Hymn to Love), written to the love of her life, boxer Marcel Cerdan, who died in a plane crash barely a month after it was first performed.
What a night! The Games are on!
And Céline Dion’s magnificent rendition of that famous ode to love signs off this remarkable, historic, Opening Ceremony.

Favourite Moments from the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony