PARIS — The 33rd Summer Olympic Games opened in Paris with an unprecedented ceremony along the Seine River on Friday, marking the first time in a century that the city has hosted the Summer Games and the first-ever Olympic opening ceremony held outside of a stadium.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the spectacle unfolded with a 6-kilometer floating parade featuring 6,800 athletes from 205 national delegations, including the Refugee Olympic Team. The event drew an audience of 320,000 along the riverbanks, with viewers treated to views of iconic landmarks like the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, and the Eiffel Tower. The ceremony was designed to celebrate France’s cultural diversity and featured elaborate performances across 12 sections involving approximately 3,000 performers.
Despite earlier disruptions caused by coordinated arson attacks on Paris's high-speed rail network and a dampening rain, the festive mood prevailed. The parade showcased a host of global celebrities, including French football icon Zinedine Zidane and American pop star Lady Gaga, adding star power to the event. The ceremony concluded with tennis great Rafael Nadal lighting the Olympic cauldron, now reimagined as a hot-air balloon, symbolizing innovation and the historic first hydrogen-powered balloon flight in Paris in 1783.
The event set the stage for 17 days of competition, with South Korea aiming for medals in swimming, shooting, and fencing, starting from the first day of contests. The opening ceremony, under the theme "Games Wide Open," promises a dynamic and inclusive Olympic Games.