An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2024)

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (1)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2)Paris 2024/Florian Hulleu

With an anticipated 10,000 athletes parading through the heart of Paris, Friday's Olympic opening ceremony promises a spectacle par excellence.

Many of the details have been kept secret, so expect plenty of surprises.

The ceremony begins at 18:30 BST, and will last just under four hours.

Here are some of the things to watch out for during the curtain-raiser, which you can watch live on the BBC.

1. A free-flowing ceremony

For the first time, the ceremony will take place not in a stadium, but in the heart of a city. The world's Olympic teams are set to parade along the River Seine in boats, watched by about 300,000 spectators in a display directed by Thomas Jolly, the ceremony's artistic director.

The flotilla will carry more than 10,000 athletes along a 6km (3.7 mile) route along the waterway, which has been under intense scrutiny for its cleanliness.

Organisers hope Friday's spectacle is free-flowing, amid a mammoth security operation that will involve tens of thousands of police.

Earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that a plan B (and a plan C) had been put together in case the challenges proved insurmountable.

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (3)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (4)

2. The glorious City of Light

The boats will pass some of the city's best-known bridges and landmarks on their journey during the evening - including Notre-Dame cathedral and, naturally, the Eiffel Tower - before reaching the Trocadéro.

It will conclude as the sun sets over the city's west, which organisers hope will further solidify the legend of the City of Lights. Games president Tony Estanguet has promised the timing will make the show "more sublime, with a truly poetic dimension".

(And by the way - theories differ as to whether the French capital earned its nickname as a luminous centre of intellect and creativity, or due to the way it reportedly embraced street lighting early in the technology's development.)

3. Cameras on every boat

Organisers are promising cameras on each boat to show the stars up close.

But what remains to be seen is exactly how this arrangement scales up and down for Olympic delegations of different sizes.

The USA, for example, is sending just shy of 600 competitors while some smaller nations are being represented by just a single competitor each.

Dozens of vessels will be used, with help enlisted from local boat firms.

The spotlight will be shone on those athletes given the job of carrying their team's flag. A pair of British Olympic veterans - diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover - have been given that responsibility for Team GB.

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (5)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (6)Paris 2024/Florian Hulleu

4. Possible rows over music

Jolly has signed up 3,000 performers - including musicians and 400 dancers on bridges - though he's remained tight-lipped about who the famous names are.

It has been suggested that French-Malian R&B star Aya Nakamura could be among the musical acts, as the world's most-streamed French-language artist.

That remains unconfirmed, and has proven unpopular with the French far-right, which has argued that her music owes more to Africa and the US than to France. Nakamura was prompted to reply to one group: "What do I owe you? Nothing."

There's been some speculation that Canadian star Céline Dion - who sings in French and English - could perform, after she was seen in the French capital earlier this week. Again, nothing is confirmed, but a performance would represent a comeback for Dion, who cancelled shows after revealing in 2022 that she had a rare neurological condition called Stiff Person Syndrome.

Lady Gaga, too, has been spotted going through a routine on some stairs along the River Seine, so we can be pretty confident that she is going to feature.

But Daft Punk fans hoping to "get lucky" with a performance from the French duo were left disappointed when the act shot down any rumours they'd take part.

5. A mystery torchbearer lighting up the show

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (7)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (8)IOPP/Getty Images

The Olympic torch travelled to the French capital from Greece in a massive relay that began more than three months ago. As part of its journey, the torch was briefly transported on the world’s longest rowing boat - the 24-seat Stampfli Express.

As for who gets the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron - tradition dictates that the identity of the final torchbearer stays a secret until the big televised reveal.

That duty has previously fallen to the likes of Muhammad Ali in Atlanta in 1996 and to Aboriginal sprinter Cathy Freeman in Sydney four years later.

Among those who've carried the torch so far are French former footballer Thierry Henry and judo star Romane Dicko. Rapper Snoop Dogg will also have a role in carrying the torch in the final stages of the relay before the opening ceremony begins.

6. A bold array of looks

With the athletes' parade always comes a bold array of looks - not least when the Olympics are taking place this time in one of the world's style capitals.

Team USA and Team GB will be kitted out by Ralph Lauren and Ben Sherman respectively. Other eye-catching outfits come courtesy of Stella Jean, whose designs for Haiti are designed to project a vibrant image of the Caribbean nation.

The event's organisers say some 3,000 unique costumes have been made for both the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies in a secretive workshop near Paris. Many will be made of recycled materials as the Games looks to stress its green ethos.

The woman stitching together this part of the visual spectacle is Daphné Bürki, who says she has been getting ready for the "biggest show of the 21st century four times over".

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (9)An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (10)Stella Jean/Eugenio D'Orio

7. Royalty - sporting and literal

Keep your eyes peeled for sporting superstars among the athletes' contingent.

But we also expect to see celebrities and dignitaries of all sorts in the crowd, with more than 100 heads of state and government due to attend, according to Reuters.

US First Lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, American singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen, have already been spotted but could there be bigger names to come?

Queen Elizabeth II appeared at the London 2012 curtain-raiser - and not just in her iconic filmed appearance with Daniel Craig.

How to watch on the BBC

The opening ceremony will be shown live from 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

You can tune in to radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 19:00 BST.

There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app bringing you the best of the event from Paris.

Paris 2024 Olympics

An armchair guide to watching the Olympic opening cermony (2024)

FAQs

How can you watch the opening ceremony for the Olympics? ›

Where to stream the opening ceremony. Viewers can tune in to the opening ceremony on NBC, Peacock and the NBC Sports app. All live streams of Olympic events will be available throughout the Games on NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app and the NBC Olympics app. A complete schedule of the Games can be found here.

What is the significance of the opening ceremony of the Olympics? ›

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games traditionally offers the host city the opportunity to celebrate sporting excellence and international unity while also presenting to the world a flattering portrait of its own nation, informed by its own culture.

Where can I watch the 2024 opening ceremony? ›

The ceremony will air on NBC and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympic platforms — NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app.

What time will the Olympic opening ceremony be televised? ›

The Summer Olympics opening ceremony will take place on Friday, July 26, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT). The opening ceremony will be broadcast on NBC, with coverage starting at noon ET.

Where can I watch the opening ceremony for free? ›

How to watch Olympics Opening Ceremony: quick links
  • US: NBC & USA on Peacock ($7.99/month), Sling TV ($25 off first month), Fubo (one-week free trial)
  • UK: BBC iPlayer (Free)
  • Australia: 9Now (Free)
  • France: France.TV (Free)
  • Access streaming from anywhere via ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)
Jul 29, 2024

How can I watch the opening ceremony without cable? ›

The best way to tune into the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony is on Peacock, which serves as the official U.S streaming home for this year's Games.

What time will NBC air Olympic opening ceremony? ›

What time does the Olympics opening ceremony start? The live NBC broadcast kicks off with a pre-show at noon ET Friday, and the ceremony itself begins at 7:30 p.m. Paris time, or 1:30 p.m. ET. The prime-time encore telecast, which features additional content, will air later in the day for U.S. viewers, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Can I watch the Olympics opening ceremony on Hulu? ›

The 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will air live on NBC. You can stream on Peacock, DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and FuboTV.

How much does it cost to watch the Olympics 2024? ›

Ticket prices for US visitors at Paris Olympics

The ticket prices stand at an average of about $135 to $746 for events like women's artistic gymnastics, says TIME. Meanwhile, there are some tickets available under $100 as well, including the swimming semi-finals.

Will the opening ceremony be televised? ›

All events of the 2024 Paris Olympics (including the Opening Ceremony) can be watched live on NBC and/or Peacock.

Who sang at the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony? ›

Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and more delivered epic performances during the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony Friday.

Is the Olympics opening on TV? ›

Live streaming of the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will be available on 9Now and Stan. The Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will be broadcast live on the Network Nine TV channels in Australia.

Is the opening ceremony on NBC? ›

How can you watch the opening ceremony? NBC will have 40 cameras capturing the action in Paris, and live coverage begins at noon ET. The ceremony will be broadcast on TV and streamed in digital format on NBC, Peacock and NBC Olympics.

Is the opening ceremony on Peacock? ›

How to watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony. Streaming the Opening Ceremonies is simple. All you need to do is sign up for Peacock (or log in) to watch. A Peacock subscription will also get you live coverage of the Olympics to go along with full event replays, special documentaries and more.

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