The plans for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics are a closely guarded secret. It will be the first time a Summer Games will start outside a stadium.
Instead of the usual stadium parade, the event will take place in the heart of Paris, fitting the motto “Games Wide Open.” About 6,000-7,000 athletes will sail down a six-kilometer (four-mile) stretch of the Seine River, from the Austerlitz bridge to the Eiffel Tower, on 85 barges and boats.
Up to 500,000 people will watch from special stands, free spots on the riverbanks, and nearby balconies and apartments. Tickets for the stands have sold for up to 2,700 euros ($2,900).
“Organizing a ceremony on the Seine is not easier than doing it in a stadium… but it has more punch,” said chief organiser Tony Estanguet. The parade has never been fully rehearsed due to its size and complexity.
The show is designed by theatre director Thomas Jolly, known for the rock-opera musical “Starmania.” His team includes the writer of the French TV series Call My Agent, Fanny Herrero, author Leila Slimani, and historian Patrick Boucheron.
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The ceremony will have 12 sections, with around 3,000 dancers, singers, and entertainers on the riverbanks, bridges, and monuments. A tribute to Notre-Dame cathedral is planned, possibly with dancers on its scaffolding.
Starting at 07:30 pm (1730 GMT), two-thirds of the ceremony will be in daylight. It will end with a light show. The music will be a mix of classical, traditional ‘chanson francaise,’ rap, and electro.
Franco-Malian R&B star Aya Nakamura is one of the star performers, despite criticism from far-right politicians like Marine Le Pen. Rumors suggest Lady Gaga and Celine Dion might appear. Daft Punk declined to play, and David Guetta was overlooked.
Asked about his message, Jolly said it was “love.” He said his work would celebrate cultural, linguistic, religious, and sexual diversity.
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“I think the people who want to live together in this diversity, this otherness, are much more numerous, but we make less noise,” he told AFP.
Don’t expect a tribute to French clichés or a nationalistic display like the Beijing 2008 Games. Historian Patrick Boucheron said, “The opening ceremony in Beijing in 2008 was exactly what we did not want to do.”
One major moment will be Nakamura’s performance, especially after controversy about her role. Jolly hinted that a submersible might emerge from the Seine. The final torchbearer, who will light the Olympic cauldron in front of the Louvre, remains unknown. Triple gold medalist Marie-Jose Perec is a top contender.
The biggest concern for French police is ensuring everyone’s safety over such a large urban area.
