Part of 2024 Summer Paralympics | |
Date | 28 August 2024 |
---|---|
Time | 20:00 – 23:00 CEST (UTC+2) |
Venue | Place de la Concorde |
Location | Paris, France |
Also known as | Paradox: From Discord to Concord |
Filmed by | Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) |
Footage | The ceremony on the IPC YouTube channel on YouTube |
Part of a series on |
2024 Summer Paralympics |
---|
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics took place on the evening of 28 August 2024 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was the first time that a Summer Paralympic Games opening ceremony was held outside of a stadium. Like the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, this event was directed by Alexander Ekman and Thomas Jolly. The ceremony was themed around the human body and "history and its paradoxes", [1] and featured more than 500 dancers and performers. Unlike the Olympics opening ceremony, which took place mostly under rain, the weather was clear and sunny with a view of sunset during the ceremony.
The Parade of Nations took place on the Champs-Élysées starting at the Rond-point des Champs-Élysées, and ending at Place de la Concorde. [2] The final leg culminated with multiple torch bearers coming together, who then lit the Paralympic cauldron, a ring of 40 computerised LEDs and 200 high-pressure water aerosol spray dispensers which was topped by a 30-metre-tall helium sphere resembling a hot air balloon, rising in the air, reminiscent of the Montgolfier brothers' experiments leading to the first hot air balloon flight in 1783. Performers included French singer Christine and the Queens.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics took place on the evening of 28 August 2024 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. It was the first time that a Paralympic Games opening ceremony had been held outside of a stadium. [3] The venue was already equipped with temporary stands installed a few weeks earlier for the Olympic skateboarding, breakdancing, BMX freestyle and 3X3 basketball events. Seating was provided for 35,000 paying and accredited spectators. Another 30,000 spectators could view the parade to the Place de la Concorde for free from along the Champs-Elysées. [4]
Unlike the Olympic opening ceremony, which took place in cold weather and mostly in the rain, the skies were clear, with a view of a colourful sunset during the ceremony. It was warm, at 30°C, and somewhat humid. [5] [6] The stage consisted of two runways flanking the Luxor Obelisk. At the end of each were huge cylindrical video screens. The ceremony involved 500 performers. There were 1,100 accredited media present, and the event was viewed by an estimated television audience of 300 million. [7] [8] Security was provided by 15,000 personnel. [9] The ceremony was themed around the human body and "history and its paradoxes", [1] and was titled "Paradox: Form Discord to Concord". Each artistic sequence was built around the theme of working together to create a better and more inclusive society. [8]
The ceremony opened with a video featuring Théo Curin , a French Paralympic swimmer and a member of the Athletes' Commission of the Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Curin was the host of a show called "Théo Le Taxi" on France Télévisions, the official broadcaster of the 2024 Paralympic Games. For the opening ceremony, he arrived in a taxi provided by Toyota, one of the Games' sponsors, and decorated with hundreds of toy Phryges, the Games' ubiquitous mascot. [8] [12]
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, were introduced.
The Canadian pianist Chilly Gonzales opened the sequence with a piano performance. He was joined by 140 dancers in suits representing the "Strict Society", whose costumes symbolized rigidity, and 16 performers with disabilities representing the "Creative Gang", whose costumes symbolized freedom. The Creative Gang included Chelsie Hill, a founder of the Rollettes wheelchair dance team, and Israeli Para dancing champion Tomer Margalit and her dance partner Orel Chalaf.
The interactions between both groups on stage was meant as a representation of the paradoxical relationship between persons with disabilities and wider society, with the choreography depicting inappropriate gestures, acts of exclusion, and the objectification of the Creative Gang by the Strict Society.
At the end of the segment, the two groups came together as French singer Christine and the Queens performed Edith Piaf's Non, je ne regrette rien . [8] [13] [14]
Olympic and Paralympic Phryges danced and play acted on stage while the 168 delegations of athletes entered the Place de Concorde in French alphabetical order, except for Australia, the United States and France, which brought up the rear in that order as the host nations of the 2032, 2028 and 2024 Summer Paralympics respectively. As the French contingent entered, Joe Dassin's "Les Champs-Élysées" as well as Yann Tiersen's theme from the film Amélie were played, and the crowd chanted "Allez Les Bleus". [15] [8] [9]
The segment opened with a film depicting various persons with disabilities narrating their journeys to self-acceptance over their disabilities.
Afterwards, the one-armed French singer Lucky Love sang "My Ability", with the Strict Society joining him. [16] This sequence represented the Strict Society's realization of their internalized prejudices, leading to self reflections and their awakening. [8]
A video was shown depicting the origins of the Paralympic movement under Sir Ludwig Guttmann at the spinal injuries hospital in Stoke Mandeville in the UK.
French Armed Forces personnel raised the French flag while the French National Anthem, La Marseillaise was performed by music director Victor Le Masne. Brief speeches were given by Tony Estanguet, the President of the Games of Paris 2024, and Andrew Parsons, the President of the International Paralympic Committee. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, then officially declared the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open. [8] [17]
A video was shown in which blind Canadian YouTube personality Molly Burke, quadriplegic comedian Martin Petit, and the amputee Lucie Retail spoke frankly about their respective disabilities, the way they affect their lives and the way they are perceived and treated by others.
The video was followed by another choreographed performance with the Strict Society and the Creative Gang, featuring one-armed hip-hop dancer Angelina Bruno, wheelchair dancer Piotr Iwanicki and Musa Motha, a finalist on Britain's Got Talent in 2023 and America's Got Talent: Fantasy League . [8] [18]
The segment depicted both groups coming together, blending dance, sport, and art into a fictional game that highlighted teamwork and adaptive sport, as well as the overcoming of physical differences. [8]
The Paralympic flag was brought on stage by British Paralympic sprinter and astronaut John McFall and French sailor Damien Seguin, while visually impaired musician Luan Pommier, played the Paralympic Anthem on the piano. [8] [18] French athletes Sandrine Martinet and Arnaud Assoumani took the Paralympic Oath, along with a coach and an official. [19]
The 2024 Summer Paralympics torch relay saw the Paralympic flame lit in Stoke Mandeville on 24 August and carried through the Channel Tunnel by 24 British and 24 French torch bearers. The flame was divided into twelve flames, which were carried through France by 1,000 torch bearers. As the flame entered the arena, it was greeted by 150 dancers and performers carrying torches. [8] To symbolise the connection between the Olympics and Paralympics, the flame was brought into the Place de la Concorde by Florent Manaudou, the flag bearer of the French Olympic team, and handed to Paralympian Michael Jeremiasz, the French Paralympic chef de mission. [19]
The flame was then carried in turn by three international Paralympic champions: Italian wheelchair fencer Bebe Vio, American multi paralympic sportperson Oksana Masters and the German long jumper Markus Rehm.
As the flame was handed over between the torchbearers, the 150 dancers carrying torches performed a choreography set to Maurice Ravel's Bolero. This represented the achieving of concord, a contrast to the previous segment Discord which opened the ceremony. The segment culminated with the formation of the Paralympic agitos, and the flame's departure from the Place de la Concorde. [8]
The torch was then carried to the Jardin des Tuileries by three French champions: Assia El Hannouni, Christian Lachaud and Béatrice Hess. French athletes Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Nantenin Keïta, Fabien Lamirault, Alexis Hanquinquant and Élodie Lorandi lit the cauldron. [19] [20] The cauldron took the form of a 7-metre diameter ring of fire with 40 computerised LEDs and 200 high-pressure water aerosol spray dispensers which was topped by a 30-metre-tall helium sphere resembling a hot air balloon 22 metres in diameter, that rose in the air, reminiscent of the first flight in a hydrogen balloon by Jacques Charles and the Robert brothers in Paris in 1783. [8] [21]
The ceremony concluded with a laser light and fireworks display. Dancers performed on stage, which was flooded with colour in tribute to British artist Sue Austin, who used a wheelchair to paint, while Christine and the Queens sang Patrick Hernandez's "Born to Be Alive". [8]
Dignitaries who attended the ceremony included the following: [22]
Nation | Name | Title |
---|---|---|
Germany | Frank-Walter Steinmeier Elke Büdenbender | President |
Australia | Sam Mostyn | Governor-General |
Belgium | Astrid of Belgium Lorenz | Prince and Princess |
Canada | Mary Simon | Governor-General |
France |
| |
Iceland | Halla Tómasdóttir | President |
Italy | Sergio Mattarella | President |
Lithuania | Gitanas Nausėda | President |
Luxembourg | Henri María Teresa | Grand Duke |
Monaco | Albert II of Monaco | Prince |
United Kingdom | Keir Starmer | Prime Minister |
United States | Tammy Duckworth | Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee |
Slovenia | Robert Golob | Prime Minister |
Czech Republic | Petr Pavel | President |
Organisation | Name | Title |
---|---|---|
IPC | Andrew Parsons | President |
IOC | Thomas Bach | President |
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Through 2022, the flame would continue to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it was extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony. In 2024, electric lighting and mist were used to create a simulated flame for the Olympic cauldron, with the actual flame kept in a lantern exhibited at an adjacent location. That lantern was then taken by French swimmer Léon Marchand from Jardins des Tuileries and ceremonially "transferred" to the Stade de France at the start of the Closing Ceremony; there it was finally extinguished just after the IOC president declared officially closed the Games.
The Tuileries Garden is a public garden between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Created by Catherine de' Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution. Since the 19th century, it has been a place for Parisians to celebrate, meet, stroll and relax. During the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, it was the site of the Olympic and Paralympic cauldron.
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was first time the new Paralympic logo featured in the Summer Paralympics since its rebranding after the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
The Paralympic symbols are the icons, flags, and symbols used by the International Paralympic Committee to promote the Paralympic Games.
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in France, with several events started from 24 July. Paris was the host city, with events held in 16 additional cities spread across metropolitan France, including the sailing centre in the second-largest city of France, Marseille, on the Mediterranean Sea, as well as one subsite for surfing in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Assia El Hannouni is a French track and field athlete who specialises in the 800 metres Paralympic sprint. She has Retinitis pigmentosa which means that she is almost blind, with less than one tenth vision in her left eye, and zero in her right eye. She also runs against athletes without disabilities, in 800m sprint events.
The 2024 Summer Paralympics, also known as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and branded as Paris 2024, were the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, an international multi-sport parasports event governed by the International Paralympic Committee. The Games were held in Paris, France, from 28 August to 8 September 2024, and featured 549 medal events across 22 sports. These games marked the first time Paris hosted the Summer Paralympics and the second time France hosted the Paralympic Games, following the 1992 Winter Paralympics in Tignes and Albertville. France also hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics.
"Les Champs-Élysées" is a 1969 song by the American-French singer Joe Dassin. It is a French-language cover of "Waterloo Road", a single released the previous year by the English rock band Jason Crest.
Mauritius sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the fifth time the country had taken part in a Paralympic Games after its debut at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. The Mauritian delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: wheelchair racer Brandy Perrine and short-distance swimmer Scody Victor. The nation's best result was tenth overall by Perrine in the women's 100 metres T54 event as both competitors did not progress to the final in their respective competitions.
Haiti sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country's participation in Rio marked its third appearance at the quadrennial event and its delegation consisted of one shot put thrower Jean Indris Santerre, who qualified for the games by being issued a wild card from the International Paralympic Committee after being unable to qualify on merit. He was chosen as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Santerre did not start the final of the men's F57 shot put competition held at the Maracanã Stadium on 17 September for unknown reasons.
The opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Paralympics took place on the evening of 7 September 2016 at the Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, starting at 18:30 BRT.
The 2008 Summer Olympics cauldron is the Olympic flame holder that was used during the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. It was first lit on August 8, 2008, as part of the opening ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and last extinguished as part of the closing ceremony of the games of the Paralympics on September 17. Originally located on the inside roof of the Beijing National Stadium, it was relocated to outside the stadium on the Olympic Green following the completion of the Games.
The 2010 Winter Olympics cauldron was erected for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A version of the cauldron was used as part of the opening ceremony at BC Place, while a permanent, public cauldron was constructed in Jack Poole Plaza, in compliance with protocol stating that the lighting of the Olympic flame should be visible outdoors to the public.
The 2019 Parapan American Games, officially the VI Pan American Games and commonly known as the Lima 2019 ParaPan-Am Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, celebrated in the tradition of the Parapan American Games as governed by the Americas Paralympic Committee, which was held from August 23 to September 1, 2019 in Lima, Peru.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics took place on 26 July 2024 across Paris, beginning at 19:30 CEST. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings included an artistic program showcasing the culture of the host country and city, the parade of athletes and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. The Games were formally opened by the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. The ceremony marked the 130th anniversary of the International Olympic Committee, the centenary of the 1924 Summer and Winter Olympics, and the 235th anniversary of the French Revolution.
The 2024 Summer Olympic torch relay ran from 16 April 2024 until 26 July 2024. After it was lit in Olympia, Greece, the torch then travelled through Greece, arriving at Athens on 26 April. It sailed across the Mediterranean on the three-masted barque Belem to Marseille on 9 May and subsequently began its travel across Metropolitan and Overseas France, as well as Monaco. The French leg ended during the opening ceremony when it was used to light the Olympic cauldron. The cauldron was erected at the Tuileries Garden's central fountain.
The 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics cauldron was made for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Paris. It was located at the Tuileries Garden.
The 2024 Summer Paralympics torch relay was held from 24 to 28 August 2024. The torch relay began with the lighting of the Paralympic Heritage flame in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, on 24 August. The next day, the torch arrived in France via the Channel Tunnel, thus beginning the torch relay. The torch was split into 12 parts and visited 12 different cities across France. The French leg ended during the opening ceremony when it was used to light the Paralympic cauldron. The cauldron was erected at the Tuileries Garden's central fountain. In total, the relay visited 50 cities and had 1000 torch bearers.
The closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympics took place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on 8 September 2024.
Media related to 2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony at Wikimedia Commons