Best Moments of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony was one for the books.
Despite the downpours in Paris, the City of Light was aglow with talent and excitement for the Summer Olympics, as well as for the star power present: In addition to the planet's best athletes, we also had some of the world's biggest pop culture figures, including Céline Dion, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga and Aya Nakamura—plus a mystery torchbearer parkouring around Paris and a giant silver horse riding down the River Seine.
Here are the most viral moments from the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies.
Related: How to Watch the Olympics on TV, Cable, Online, Roku, for Free
Best Moments from the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony
Céline Dion's glorious comeback
"Si je dois revenir chanter, ce sera pour les Jeux Olympiques."
4 ans après sa dernière performance sur scène, voici la sublime performance de Céline Dion qui reprend "L'hymne à l'amour" d'Edith Piaf.#ceremoniedouverture #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Y7qM4ARKNO— France tv (@FranceTV) July 26, 2024
Céline Dion made an amazing comeback performance of "Hymne à L’Amour." It's her first performance since revealing her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome in 2022, and it brought the house down (and audiences to tears).
The River Seine celebrating France
The Flame is here! Are you ready for this 6km celebration of sport along the iconic River Seine? ??
Are you ready for the Olympic Games Paris 2024? ??#Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/sfHRiqcwIS— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024
The red, white and blue is for France's national flag colors, but we'll pretend it's for Team U.S.A., too.
Team U.S.A.'s rain-soaked arrival
Flag bearers LeBron James and Coco Gauff rocked ponchos as the Team U.S.A. boat pulled into the Seine. James quipped to NBC Sports, "Rain can't stop us!"
Team U.S.A.'s festive fashion
Tara Davis-Woodhall and Steph Curry showed their spirit in style.
Related: What Do the Olympic Rings Symbolize?
The light show
The City of Lights was lit up even brighter for the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.
France's G.O.A.T. soccer star makes an appearance
Zinedine Zidane clutched the Olympic torch. In terms of the proverbial torch, almost no French players have been able to even hold a candle to him on the soccer field since his retirement.
Related: 7 Gym-Bag Essentials To Help You Go for the Gold, According to 3x Olympian Dominique Dawes
The silver 'horse'
There are few things cooler than this metal horse that "rode" down the River Seine.
Related: 36 Easy Gold Medal Winning Olympic Recipes For Your Paris 2024 Watch Party
Aya Nakamura goes for the gold
AYA NAKAMURA #ceremoniedouverture #OpeningCeremony #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Mc7V9EckBw
— aya base. (@nakamura_base) July 26, 2024
French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura performed reworked versions of her hits "Djadja" and "Pookie" with the French Republican Guard orchestra and a choir from members of the French army.
Lady Gaga's 'Thing With Feathers'
On the heels of the first full trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux, Lady Gaga performed "Mon Truc en Plumes (My Thing With Feathers)," and it was as camp as you'd expect from Mother Monster.
Related: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Lady Gaga
Snoop Dogg as torch bearer
If anyone knows how to light up a party, it's this guy. From his crip walk at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2021 to this, we need Snoop at every possible sports event. He really is, genuinely, a whole vibe.
Related: Snoop Dogg's Net Worth and How He Made It
Snoop Dogg and Hoda Kotb dancing to Lady Gaga's performance
Hoda and Snoop Dogg grooving to Lady Gaga. ??#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/8arHgqoPEs
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2024
It's giving us life, honestly.
The mystery torchbearer
Honestly, if the Assassin's Creed film adaptation were just following this guy around while he did parkour around Paris, it would've been a blockbuster.