Friday is the kickoff to the 2024 Paris Olympics as the opening ceremony is set to begin.
The historic opening ceremony is taking place on the famous Seine River, the first-ever outdoor opening ceremony. Celebrities and athletes will be floating down the river on custom-made floats for the occasion.
But the day hasn't been easy for those traveling to the games, as an arson attack took place on the Paris railways, causing massive delays. The impact of the fire is estimated to affect about 800,000 people traveling to watch the performances and all-out celebration of the start of the games.
France's Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete reported "coordinated malicious acts" on the railways. He added: "All the evidence in our possession shows that it was deliberate, with simultaneous schedules, everything happened at the same time. Everything indicates to us that these were indeed arson attacks."
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, told the BBC: "I don't have concerns, we have full confidence in the French authorities. All the measures are being taken."
This wasn't the first attempt at a railway attack, as in May the French police reportedly "foiled" a previous attack in May near Marseille. The AFP claims there was an investigation into an "incendiary device" found on the railway on May 8.
Rumors swirled that Celine Dion would be making her comeback performance at the event when she was spotted leaving a Paris hotel near the Champs-Élysées. It would be the star's first performance since she canceled her tour amid her diagnosis of Stiff Person Syndrome.
Meanwhile, rumors were confirmed of another performer taking one of the floats as Lady Gaga was spotted rehearsing in a black strapless dress with dancers flanking her with big pink, feathery, pom poms. The singer is rumored to be sharing the stage with Celine, but it's still unconfirmed.
Other big names have started to arrive to the ceremony, with First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden arriving just days after her husband Joe Biden pulled out of the 2024 presidential election, opening the floor for Kamala Harris to become the potential Democratic nominee.
Celebrities aren't strangers to the ceremony as Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were seen at the ceremony. Also in attendance are John Legend, his wife Chrissy Teigen, and their two oldest children Luna and Miles.
Rapper Snoop Dogg had the honor of carrying the Olympic torch through the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis, with fans cheering him on and even playing his music as he ran. Others online joked that the Olympic torch looked like something that the 420-friendly rapper would be seen with.
YouTuber and Influencer Emma Chamberlain walked the red carpet in a Ralph Lauren ensemble that consisted of a white button jacket, with two navy stripes on one arm with black capri pants and a matching white Ralph Lauren purse. She completed the look with a sleek bun, golden hoops and a prominent red lip. This is the first time the content creator is attending the Olympics in person.
Tennis star Serena Williams also walked the red carpet with husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and their daughter Olympia. Serena looked red hot in her sheer ruched dress and matching bag. The 42-year-old has won four Olympic gold metals.
Pharrell Williams joined Snoop Dogg and others as torch-bearer. Other celebrities who were earlier torch-carriers included Salma Hayek, MC Solaar, singer Patrick Bruel, and drag queen Minima Gest. The music producer did it for the final leg of the Olympic Torch Relay.
The opening ceremony had began and the countries are coming down the Seine River in boats as they represent their team. They are waving their flags, decked in their designated outfits and smiling big. There was also a team for refugees wearing white from various countries such as Syria, Cameroon, and Iran. The delegation started in 2016 with the Rio Olympics.
Lady Gaga was the first performer of the opening ceremony, She was rumored to be headlining and it's a rumor no more. The singer dressed in black, sang in french in a vintage-themed performance that incorporated pink and white feathers. Her ensemble of dancers wore black and held up the pink feathers. At the end of the performance, she was decorated with white feathers as well.
There are numerous dance performances in the opening ceremony from pink can-can girls as the familiar song played. Their high kicks mesmerizing. Louis Vuitton brand makes an appearance in the golden performance with the dancer splashing in the water.
The iconic musical, Les Mis, came in with a brief performance and it then transitioned to a beheaded Marie Antoinette with the headless head singing. Then heavy metal started to playing as the band started to rock out. Red sprouted everywhere in a large display and an opera singer came near the end as she sang her song.
Aya Nakamura was performing in a golden feather dress, that resembled the wing of a bird. Her dancers and the set was golden as well. She sang a small medley of her hits such as Djadja. Aya is a popular French-Malian singer-songwriter.
In the Sororité part of the opening ceremony, there was golden statues of prominent of French women in history. They showed first woman director and one of the first filmmakers Alice Guy and former French magistrate and politician Simone Veil. Veil was the first woman to hold the position of President of the European Parliament from 1979 to 1982.
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