Key events
Welcome to the Paris Olympic Games 2024 opening ceremony
Bonjour! Salut! Bienvenue! Hello! Γειά σου! Welcome to our live coverage of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games 2024!
Opening ceremonies don’t make or break a Games as being considered a success, but can certainly set the tone, and often are the moment a host nation gets the Olympic spirit and gets behind hosting the Games.
Paris 2024 is promising a unique spectacle, as the for the first time the ceremony is a parade through the city, on a 6km route on the River Seine, rather than being stadium-bound.
It was an imaginative part of the city’s bid to host the Games, but has also become fraught with complexity, with residents complaining about large parts of the city being sealed off during the preparations, and security concerns meaning the promise of large crowds thronging the banks of the river have been scaled down.
Nevertheless, with the world’s eys on it, we are expecting a great show. We will bring you the best pictures, analysis and reaction as it all unfolds from 7pm BST tonight. My colleague David Hills has five things to look out for …