Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony held on Seine River sparks astonishment and praise

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics held on the Seine River yesterday has sparked astonishment, praise, and criticism, leaving no one indifferent. Over 15,000 performers, technicians, and pyrotechnics experts were involved in the event. The details of the ceremony remained closely guarded until the last moment, attracting around 320,000 spectators on-site according to organizers’ estimates, and many hundreds of millions tuning in on television.

Tapani Parm, a veteran TV director who has overseen several Olympic broadcasts, noted that organizing such an extensive television production typically requires around 500 people and years of preparation. “We aimed to deliver a completely new type of ceremony, the first in history to take place outside a stadium, along the Seine. It featured courage, multiple messages, and beautiful surprises in music and lighting,” said Tony Estanguet, Chairman of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, shortly after the event.

Despite the rain, the ceremony was a dazzling spectacle. Although organizers provided vague statements about costs, French media reported the budget was approximately €120 million, about four times more than the London 2012 opening ceremony.

Parm praised the ceremony for being well-designed for television. While on-site spectators along the Seine could only catch glimpses, large screens ensured they saw the same performance as the international TV audience. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the weather and the technical complexities, mentioning around 120 cameras captured the event, including nine Finnish operators from Yle.

The ceremony also featured major international artists like Celine Dion and Lady Gaga performing in French. This marks the third time the Olympics have been hosted in Paris, with previous events held in 1900 and 1924.