PARIS: For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, the Opening Ceremony didn’t take place in a stadium. Olympic Games Paris 2024 broke new ground by bringing sports into the city, holding its Opening Ceremony in the heart of the city along its main artery: the River Seine.

The celebration transformed the French capital into a stadium and theatre as the traditional parade of athletes took place in boats along the Seine, passing the most iconic Parisian landmarks.

The opening ceremony was held for the first time outside the stadium, with 6,800 athletes from 205 countries taking part on board 85 boats, and lasting more than three hours. The ceremony was watched by 320,000 spectators in specially built stands on the banks of the River Seine, and nearly 200,000 from the balconies of nearby buildings.

It is the third time the French capital hosts the Olympic Games after 1900 and 1924, and comes exactly a century after the last time the city staged the Games.

For 17 days, the world will be cap
tivated by a showcase of athletic prowess and sportsmanship; excellence, friendship, and respect.

A total of 329 medal events will be held, with 35 venues hosting the Games events in Paris, the Île-de-France region, and across the rest of France.

Source: Emirates News Agency