Floating Dreams: Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on the Seine

The Paris 2024 Olympics will have a unique opening ceremony on the Seine. Initially met with skepticism due to security concerns, the plan was backed by President Macron. France has deployed a massive security operation, and up to 3 billion viewers are expected to watch. Organizers promise an unforgettable event.

When early proponents of hosting an unprecedented Olympics opening ceremony along the river Seine first pitched the idea to the then-head of Paris police, he was dead-set against it. 'It's madness,' Didier Lallement said in 2021, citing vast logistical and security challenges. Despite these concerns, President Emmanuel Macron is optimistic that Lallement's doubts will be proven wrong.

'At the beginning, it seemed to be a crazy and not very serious idea,' Macron told foreign reporters at the Elysee Palace. 'But we decided it was the right moment to deliver this crazy idea and make it real.' France has rolled out its largest-ever security operation to safeguard the Games and its groundbreaking opening ceremony. Officials report no direct threats but have blocked two suspected attacks so far. Up to three billion people are expected to tune in for the floating parade along the Seine.

Planning for the ceremony has been largely secretive, but Thomas Jolly, the event's artistic director, hinted at 'a large fresco' celebrating Paris's global relationships. The path to realization began when Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet pitched the idea to Macron in 2019, inspired by the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. As the event approaches, extensive security measures have been implemented, including sealing manholes and inspecting cellars and rentals along the route.

(With inputs from agencies.)