2024 Olympics: Paris prepares for a spectacular opening ceremony tonight

PARIS: The opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics is designed to be unlike any in years past. For starters, the festivities kicking off the 33rd edition of the Games won’t be held in a stadium—they’ll take place on a series of parade floats making their way through the French capital on the river Seine.

The opening ceremony can be watched in Pakistan at 10:30 PST and will last for over three hours.

The event is, according to Olympics organizers, meant to revolutionize the Games while “remaining accessible to a large audience.”

For the first time in the history of the Summer Olympics, the opening ceremony will not be held inside a stadium. The choice made by the organization, in agreement with the city of Paris and the French government, is bold and unique, and opens up new avenues for sports competitions.

The parade of athletes—some 10,500 people belonging to the more than 200 participating Olympic committees—will take place on the Seine, with boats for each delegation equipped with cameras to allow those watching on TV or streaming online to see the athletes up close.

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The Olympic brazier will not be installed on the Eiffel Tower, as organizers originally planned; instead, the Jardin des Tuileries will host the famous Olympic flame of the Paris 2024 Games. The athletes competing in the Games will be present onstage along with the performers, which are rumored to include Celine Dion and Lady Gaga.

This year also marks the first time that the opening ceremony will be open to all and free of charge—well, almost.

An estimated 1.5 billion spectators are expected to watch the Olympics opening ceremony, either from the parade route along the Seine or via TV or streaming.

Approximately 94 boats will be part of the procession, each carrying participating delegations and the artists involved. All told, the boats will hold some 10,500 athletes from the 206 National Olympic Committees. Approximately 120 heads of state, monarchs, and government leaders are also expected to attend the ceremony.