‘Weird’ Opening Ceremony features rain, boats and Celine Dion to kick off Paris games

The rainy, dramatic 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony wrapped with a performance by Céline Dion on Friday evening.

The four-hour ceremony went on despite forecasted rain and arson attacks on key rail lines into Paris delaying thousands of visitors. The ceremony featured a parade of boats down the Seine River, a faceless torch-bearer doing parkour on Parisian rooftops and headless Marie Antoinette figurines, receiving mixed reactions from viewers.

“This opening ceremony isn’t getting any better,” one user wrote on X. “An Canadian closing An Paris Olympics #OpeningCeremony too long, too weird, too much river.”

“This is the most WTF opening ceremony I have ever seen,” another viewer wrote on X.

This year’s unique opening ceremony was the first to not happen in a stadium. The athletes arrived on boats that floated down the River Seine instead, with each delegation waving flags and cheering.

As for Team USA, tennis champion Coco Gauff officially became the youngest American flag bearer in the history of the Games. Basketball champion Lebron James joins Gauff in carrying the flag for Team USA .

In addition to being the youngest American flag bearer, Gauff was also the first American tennis player to hold the honor.