The 2024 Olympic Games kicked off with a bang on Friday, with an unforgettable, lavish opening ceremony in Paris. The festivities, which paid tribute to the history of France and Paris, featured some big names performing at the ceremony, which was held in surrounding buildings along the River Seine.
Lady Gaga headlined the ceremony at the start of the Parade of Nations and Celine Dion at the end of the ceremony after lighting the Olympic cauldron.
Dion’s emotional performance came atop the Eiffel Tower during one of her concerts. First public appearance Since being diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, she sang a beautiful and emotional rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” to end the celebrations.
Lady Gaga, who appeared on the banks of the Seine to perform “Mon truc en plumes” by Zizi Jeanmaire. The performance was complete with lots of pink feathers, a dramatic train and a troupe of dancers.
Lady Gaga’s cabaret-inspired performance, which included a choral line and a performance by the musician on piano, appeared to be a tribute to Janmair. performance From the song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965.
in a long time mail On social media, Lady Gaga spoke about her performance and the opportunity to perform at the Olympics and honor Jeanmaire’s song. “Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection to the French and to French music. I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a great occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth – Paris,” she said in the post.
I am very grateful to have been asked to open the Paris exhibition. @Olympic Games In 2024 this year. I am also humbled that the Olympic Organizing Committee asked me to sing such a special French song – a song to honor the French people and their wonderful history in art, music and… pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 26, 2024
Dion’s performance was actually a comeback to the Olympics: she had performed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
While Lady Gaga and Dion were the biggest names of the night, there were plenty of other artists who performed at the event.
Following Lady Gaga, French metal band Gojira performed from the windows of a building filled with headless singers dressed as Marie Antoinette — a wild and daring performance that went viral.
Next, Aya Nakamura came out to perform with the French Republican Guard Band, which accompanied the Malian-French singer’s band. Nakamura performed her hit song “Djadja,” which hit the top spots worldwide but was not as popular in the United States.
As the rain fell, the party continued with French-Algerian rapper Rimke, who grew up in a Paris suburb.
As the sun set, French singer-songwriter Juliette Armanier performed a version of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” which has become an Olympic tradition — a tribute to international cooperation through sport and a call for world peace. Armanier was accompanied by pianist Sofiane Bammart on a flaming piano.
