Everything to Know About the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony: When to Watch, Who’s Performing, More
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics is sure to be a spectacle to behold.
In addition to being the first opening ceremony to take place completely outdoors on the River Seine, this year’s show is rumored to feature performances from a number of celebrity performers.
Among those set to take the Olympics stage is Céline Dion. Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, July 24, that the Grammy winner will perform during the opening ceremony, marking her first major show since announcing her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis in December 2022.
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra previously teased Dion’s inclusion in the event during an interview on the French channel TF1’s Bonjour breakfast show, hinting that Dion’s presence in Paris was “not by chance,” per Deadline.
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When asked whether Dion would make an opening ceremony appearance, Oudéa-Castéra, 46, cryptically stated, “There are a multitude of possible roles in an opening ceremony.”
Scroll down for everything to know about the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony:
When is the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Airing?
The 4.5-hour opening ceremony will air on NBC, Peacock and the NBC and NBC Olympics apps on July 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET. An encore of the event will air on the network and streamers later that day at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Where is the Paris Olympics Ceremony Being Held?
The historic opening ceremony will take place along the River Seine. Rather than entering a stadium, athletes will proceed down the river on boats while passing by iconic landmarks such as the Louvre and Notre-Dame. The procession will begin under Austerlitz Bridge and end near the Eiffel Tower.
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Who Is Hosting the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning will cohost the opening ceremony with NBC sports commentator Mike Tirico. NBC Sports’ Maria Taylor will also join Team USA athletes on their boat down the River Seine.
“I took a little French in high school, and I told my mother I would take her to Paris one day,” Manning, 48, shared during a March appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with Clarkson, 42, and Tirico, 57. “Thirty years to the time I graduated, I’m taking my mom to Paris for the Olympics.”
Today’s Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, meanwhile, will be stationed on a nearby bridge during the opening ceremony for additional coverage. Other commentators and reporters will include Snoop Dogg, Melissa Stark and Andrea Joyce.
Who Will Carry the Team USA Flags at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Basketball star LeBron James and tennis champion Coco Gauff have been announced as Team USA’s opening ceremony flag bearers.
“I have no words, honestly,” Gauff, 20, said of being bestowed with the honor on the Wednesday, July 24, episode of Today, noting that the news made her cry.
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“I didn’t want to cry in front of my teammates,” she added. “When Chris [Eubanks] told me, I was holding it in, but when I called my mom, I started crying because I think it’s even more special that so many incredible people — even now I get emotional thinking about it — but so many incredible people just think that I am worthy of this. It means a lot, truly.”
James, meanwhile, was informed he would carry the flag by Olympics teammate Stephen Curry. “We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position, and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speak for itself of him being worthy of that honor,” Curry, 36, said in a video nominating his fellow athlete for the position.
Who Will Perform at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony?
While many of the opening ceremony’s celebrity performers are being kept under wraps, President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that French singer Aya Nakamura will be among the show’s lineup of acts.
In addition to teasing a now-confirmed appearance from Dion, Oudéa-Castéra also hinted that Lady Gaga will take to the stage at the global event. “We promised you very big artists,” she said on the TF1’s Bonjour breakfast show.
