Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a typically rainy opening ceremony on Friday. The weather, however, did not dampen the enthusiasm of the athletes or the crowds. Athletes holding umbrellas rode on boats along the Seine, while fans cheered from the banks, bridges, and balconies. The ceremony commenced with a pre-recorded video featuring former French footballer Zinedine Zidane holding the Olympic flame. Zidane, navigating a Parisian traffic jam, handed the flame to a group of children on the metro. They, in turn, found their way to a boat, transitioning the broadcast to a real-time view of the River Seine.
Singer, songwriter, and actress Lady Gaga captivated the audience with her performance at the Opening Ceremony. Dressed in a stylish black feathered corset, she took to the banks of the Seine, delivering a rendition of Zizi Jeanmaire’s ‘Mon Truc en Plumes’. Meanwhile, a hooded torchbearer reminiscent of an Assassin’s Creed character made a dramatic entrance, stopping by the Notre Dame and witnessing the disappearance of the ‘Mona Lisa’ before passing the torch to Zidane. The masked character’s costume was later revealed to be inspired by iconic figures in French culture, including the Phantom of the Opera, Ezio from Assassin’s Creed, and Arsene Lupin.
Celine Dion made a grand return on Friday, concluding the Olympics’ opening ceremony with a performance from the Eiffel Tower. Almost two years after disclosing her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, Dion delivered a powerful rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” (“Hymn to Love”) as the finale of the approximately four-hour event. While her participation had been speculated for weeks, both organizers and Dion’s team kept her performance a secret, adding to the excitement and anticipation.