The Paris Olympics is set to debut a groundbreaking opening ceremony on July 26, with athletes floating down the Sand River in boats, culminating at the Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower.
The 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony will mark a first in Olympics history.
That's because for the first time ever, the Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Instead, it will feature thousands of athletes entering on the Seine River in a floating parade.
About 10,500 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 3.7 miles. This will start the ceremony, not mark the end of it, another break from tradition.
The parade starts at the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes and follows the course of the Seine from east to west. It makes its way around two islands in the center of the city before passing under several bridges and gateways.
Athletes aboard the boats will get glimpses of several Olympic venues, including La Concorde Urban Park, Invalides and the Grand Palais. The parade ends at the Iena Bridge, which links the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine to the Trocadéro district on the right bank.
The ceremony’s finale is at the Trocadéro. There, among other ceremonial procedures, French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver opening remarks.
Organizers say the Opening Ceremony will be the largest in history.
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The historic ceremony will officially launch a two-week global competition featuring dozens of sports, hundreds of countries and thousands of athletes.
Here's when it is and how you can watch it:
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When is the Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The Opening Ceremony at the 2024 Olympics in Paris will be on Friday, July 26. The ceremony starts at 12:30 p.m. CT and is expected to last more than three hours.
What channel is the Olympics Opening Ceremony on?
NBC’s networks and streaming services have a comprehensive TV schedule featuring more than 5,000 hours of live coverage from the Paris Olympics.
Opening Ceremony coverage will air live on NBC 5 starting at 12:30 p.m. CT. It will air again in primetime coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. CT.
What to know about the Opening Ceremony
The highlight of the Opening Ceremony is the Parade of Nations, where thousands of Olympians representing 206 countries make their grand entrance into the Games.
Additional festivities include the raising of the host nation's flag and singing of its anthem, live performances that incorporate the culture of the host nation, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
For the U.S., tennis star Coco Gauff has been tapped to lead American athletes during the Parade of Nations, joining NBA superstar LeBron James.
