The organizers of the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled for Friday, have presented teaser announcements for their amazing plans, but they have refused to provide specifics. Here’s what we know about the concept, artists, and music, based on public statements over the past few months and media leaks:
**What’s the Concept?**
Instead of using the main stadium for athletics in the opening ceremony, as is customary, the organizers have moved the event outside, specifically to the heart of the capital, in line with their slogan “The Games are Wide Open.” Between 6,000 to 7,000 athletes are set to sail a distance of six kilometers on the Seine River from the Austerlitz Bridge, east of the Eiffel Tower, to the Jena Bridge, aboard 85 barges and boats. Up to 500,000 people will be able to watch the ceremony live from specially built platforms, with tickets selling for up to 2,700 Euros ($2,900), as well as from the banks of the river for free and from balconies and overlooking apartments. Organizing a ceremony on the Seine is “not easier than organizing it in a stadium, but it’s stronger,” said organizing committee president Tony Estanguet earlier this month.
**What About Entertainment?**
The show is designed by the innovative theater director Thomas Jolly, 42, known for the musical “Starmania.” The creative team includes “Call My Agent” writer Fanny Herrero, best-selling author Leïla Slimani, and renowned historian Patrick Boucheron. The performance is divided into 12 different sections, with about 3,000 dancers, singers, and artists positioned along the riverbanks, bridges, and nearby landmarks. There will be a salute to Notre Dame Cathedral, which is under renovation after a devastating fire in 2019, possibly featuring dancers on its scaffolding. Starting at 7:30 PM local time (5:30 PM GMT), two-thirds of the ceremony will take place in daylight, then at dusk, where Jolly hopes to enjoy the stunning Paris summer sunset, concluding with a light show. The music will feature a mix of classical, traditional "French songs," as well as rap and electronic music. French R&B star Aya Nakamura is widely expected to perform, despite criticism from far-right politicians, including Marine Le Pen, who stated that her appearance would "insult" France. French electronic music stars Daft Punk reportedly declined an invitation to perform, while world-famous DJ David Guetta felt neglected, which greatly angered him.
**What’s the Message?**
In response to a question about summarizing his message last week, Jolly stated it is "love." Despite the risk of provoking conservatives, he affirmed that his work will celebrate cultural, linguistic, religious, and sexual diversity in France and around the world. It is assumed that it will not resemble last year’s Rugby World Cup opening ceremony, which faced widespread criticism showcasing a series of French stereotypes from baguettes to hats and the Eiffel Tower. Jolly’s team also worries about overstating France's historical contributions to the development of democracy and the concept of universal human rights thanks to Enlightenment philosophers and the 1789 Revolution. Herrero recently told Le Monde: "We wanted to avoid our natural inclination to lecture people." Do not expect a three-hour tribute to French greatness; it cannot compete with the national grandeur witnessed at the Beijing Games in 2008. Boucheron told Le Monde, “The opening ceremony in Beijing 2008 was exactly what we did not want to do.”
**What Will Be the Big Moments?**
With much still under wraps, it is difficult to predict. Aya Nakamura's performance, following much controversy over her role, will be a significant moment shortly after parliamentary elections that saw the far-right anti-immigration bloc win a historic 143 seats in the National Assembly. Jolly strongly hinted at the possibility of a diver or submarine emerging from the waters of the Seine at some point. He told reporters last week, “You have the sky, you have the bridges, you have the water, you have the banks, there’s a lot of space to write poetry,” adding, “So why not under the river too?” The biggest moment might simply be the end, if everyone returns home safely. The ceremony has caused French police to sweat since it was revealed in 2021, due to the difficulty of securing such a large number of people in such an expansive urban area. About 45,000 security personnel will be on duty.
