Paris 2024: Opening ceremony includes performances by Lady Gaga, curious torchbearer and French musicians

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics got underway on Friday after a rocky start to the Summer Games, with rainy skies over the Seine and suspected sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network.

THE FLAME OF ZIZOU

French football legend Zinedine Zidane kicked off the opening ceremony with the Olympic flame in his hands. In a pre-recorded video, he is seen running and weaving through a Parisian traffic jam before handing the flame to a group of children on the metro who then head to the Catacombs and a boat, after which the broadcast switched to a real-time view of the Seine.

LADY GAGA DAZZLES

Lady Gaga delivered a dazzling performance as the first musical artist at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony, except it was all pre-recorded. The Grammy and Oscar winner began her performance on the steps along the Seine River, performing Zizi Jeanmaire’s “Mon Truc en Plumes.” Gaga’s appearance was a surprise (she wasn’t on a program provided to media in advance), but it was the subject of much speculation after the singer and actress was spotted in Paris.

WHO IS THE HOODED CHARACTER?

Is it from “The Phantom of the Opera” or “Assassin’s Creed”? Actually, it’s both, and more. The mysterious torchbearer who appears in a hooded, masked costume is inspired by several characters from French culture: Belphegor, the Iron Mask, the main character from “The Phantom of the Opera,” Fantomas, Ezio from “Assassin’s Creed,” and Arsène Lupin. The torchbearer ran to the top of the Musée d’Orsay, sped past the Pont Neuf, took a boat ride with a child holding the flame, and then did a cartwheel down a red track.

“We were impressed by the opening ceremony and very proud to see that Assassin’s Creed was one of the sources of inspiration for the talented creators of the show. It’s a true testament to the influence of video games on popular culture,” said a spokesperson for Ubisoft, creator of Assassin’s Creed.

And the half-naked blue man? The horsewoman?

The first would be French singer and actor Philippe Katerine, who performed “Nu” (“naked”). Katerine, 55, became popular in France in the 2000s with his dance number “Louxor, j’adore.” Katerine appeared lying on a rug, painted from head to toe powder blue and apparently dressed in a handful of leaves and flowers. He embodied Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and partying, the media guide said, with a song about “the absurdity of violence between human beings.”

Her character is quite fitting, according to the notes of art director Thomas Jolly. “Sequana, the daughter of Bacchus, god of wine (and partying and excess!), was pursued by Neptune, who coveted her for her beauty. The nymph managed to escape by transforming herself into a river: the Seine,” he writes. (Bacchus is the Roman equivalent of Dionysus.)

Shortly after Katerine’s performance, a glittering metal horse galloped across the water with an armoured rider on board. The rider, gendarmerie non-commissioned officer Floriane Issert, was to be “the representation of the Olympic spirit and of Sequana”. She and her faithful horse, which eventually transformed into a real equine, passed under successive bridges while the dove’s wings spread to symbolise a message of peace.

MAIN CHARACTER: WEATHER

Despite the rain, joy and happiness filled the gloomy Parisian sky. Musical performances, colorful plumes of smoke in the air, and a delighted audience cheered as each boat passed the Pont d’Arcole. From every window along the river, groups of people enthusiastically greeted the athletes, who danced and celebrated to the rhythm of the lively music. While each team was equipped with different uniforms, the transparent poncho united the athletes of all nationalities.

FRENCH MUSICIANS ENTER THE WORLD STAGE

Top French artists from different musical genres performed on the international stage. Opera singer Marina Viotti mixed her talents with the death metal style of Gojira. Singer Aya Nakamura walked the golden carpet of the Pont des Arts. In a golden feathered outfit, the French-Malian artist performed her hits “Pookie” and “Djadja” alongside the choristers of the French Army and members of the Republican Guard orchestra. Parisian rapper Rim’K also made an appearance, while mezzo-soprano Axelle Saint-Cirel performed an emotional rendition of the French national anthem “La Marseillaise”.

OLYMPIC LEGENDS UNITE FOR FINAL TORCH RELAY

Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci rode down the Seine in life jackets. Charles Coste, the oldest French Olympic champion at 100, retrieved the Olympic flame from his wheelchair and passed it to French judoka great Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec. From a boat full of Olympic legends to a hot air balloon floating in the Paris sky, the final torch relay was full of memorable moments. Other notable Olympians who played important roles included Tony Parker, Zidane and Amélie Mauresmo.

CELINE DION IS BACK!

Under the Eiffel Tower’s Olympic rings, Celine Dion showed she was back singing after a career-threatening diagnosis, performing Edith Piaf’s “Hymn to Love.” As a pianist played alongside her, Dion reached out to the assembled crowd, who applauded her stellar performance before the monument began to sparkle. It was an impressive performance for Dion, who canceled her world tour after revealing her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome. It’s a rare neurological condition that causes stiff muscles and painful muscle spasms. She returned to the Olympic stage nearly three decades after performing “The Power of the Dream” at the 1996 Atlanta Games opening ceremony.