2024 Olympics, opening ceremony: explanation of cultural references and nods

This is the first time inthe history of the Modern Olympic Games that the opening ceremony has taken place not in a stadium but in the heart of the city. This grandiose opening saw athletes from different delegations parade along the Seine to the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with a series of tableaux revealing France and its culture in all its glory. This floating opening ceremony was rich in historical and cultural references and nods that you may have missed.

Let's relive this iconic opening ceremony by sharing explanations of the different elements you may have observed. This is a way of seeing this magical moment from a different angle, which may give you an even greater appreciation of this great moment inthe history of the Olympic Games.

Paris 2024 Olympics: these Parisian monuments you could see during the opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics is revealed in a grand ode to French culture. Want to know more about the monuments that appeared during this grand opening? We tell you all about it. [Read more]

One of the common threads running through this ceremony is the mysterious masked and hooded figure who, torch in hand, crosses Paris in Parkour mode, on the rooftops of the capital. This is a nod to Assassin's Creed, the famous video game series developed bythe French company Ubisoft, one of whose installments takes place in Paris. The company also donated $500,000 to help rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral. It is also a reference to various masked figures from French history and culture, includingthe Man in the Iron Mask, a mysterious prisoner of the Bastille at the end of the 17th century whose identity has never been confirmed, and the Phantom of the Opera, a fictional character from the eponymous novel by Gaston Leroux.

Paris 2024 Olympics: who was the masked man behind the hood at the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as grandiose as it was mysterious, electrified the whole world this Friday, July 26. But then, who was this mysterious, hooded, masked torchbearer, roaming the rooftops of the capital? From Austerlitz to the Trocadero, where he passed the torch to Zidane, the secret still hangs over his identity... [Read more]

In the underground section featuring the Catacombs and the famous sewers of Paris (which can also be visited), we also see a crocodile, a reference to a story that sounds like an urban legend but is actually true: that of Éléonore, the Nile crocodile that lived in the sewers of Paris. The image of this boat in an underground river could also be an echo of the mythical scene from La Grande Vadrouille, because yes, the Bièvre also flows under Paris.

Did you know? A Nile crocodile once lived in the Paris sewers.
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The Catacombs of Paris, an unusual visit to the bowels of the capital
Have you ever ventured into the Catacombs of Paris? Let's go and discover this creepy brown place, known to all but where most have never been. A fascinating and historic site, a guided tour of the Catacombs is well worth the detour, as well as keeping you cool on hot days. [Read more]

We also saw singer Lady Gaga perform Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon truc en plume" on a golden staircase modeled after the one at the Grand Palais and under a legendary Guimard sign from the Paris metro. The artist was at the heart of a tribute to French music hall, followed by a nod to the world of Parisian cabaret, notably through the French Cancan. The bright pink color was reminiscent of Edith Piaf's song La Vie en Rose. In the heart of the Richelieu Library, a tribute to French literature was paid by highlightingVerlaine's Romances sans paroles , Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Marivaux's Le Triomphe de l'Amour.

Along the Seine, water jets, fountains, and French gardens directly echo Versailles, its grand fountains, and its park designed by André Le Nôtre, and more generally, the culture of châteaux. On the BMX bikes, two historical figures stand out: Napoleon and Louis XIV. 

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A visit to the Château de Versailles and its program
The Château de Versailles, its gardens and grounds, are a world heritage site. The official residence of the kings of France, the Château de Versailles holds the record as the largest château in the world, and of course the most visited in France. [Read more]

Napoleon in Paris: in the Emperor's footsteps
Napoleon I's reign was short, but intense: in just a few years, the Emperor managed to leave a lasting imprint on France. In Paris, this legacy is clearly visible. Hôtel des Invalides, Arc de Triomphe, Eglise de la Madeleine, rue de Rivoli... Let's take an imperial stroll through the streets of the capital. [Read more]

After a reconstruction of Eugène Delacroix's painting Liberty Leading the People at the Conciergerie, French metal band Gojira reinterprets a revolutionary song, "Ah! ça ira, " which begins with a scene of a scarlet Marie Antoinette holding her own head in her hands. As you may have guessed, theFrench Revolution is at the heart of this painting. The Conciergerie is where the queen was imprisoned before her execution. We then see a revolutionary figure, played by Marina Viotti, on a boat emblematic of the Parisian coat of arms, performing "L'Amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Love is a rebellious bird). This symbolic image also echoes the motto of Paris: Fluctuat nec Mergitur, it floats but does not sink. 

The Conciergerie in Paris: a monument symbolic of the French Revolution
The Conciergerie is a historic building on the Ile de la Cité in Paris. Since its construction in the 10th century, this monument has been the seat of the Palais de Justice and a prison in turn. It was here that Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned. [Read more]

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On the Louvre side, the flight of the Mona Lisa takes us back to the story of the disappearance in 1911 of Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous painting. The works half-submerged in the Seine, contemplating the passing athletes, are references to the paintings on display at the Louvre Museum.

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Musée du Louvre: discover the artistic and tourist heart of the capital
The Musée du Louvre, one of the capital's must-see museums, promotes French and European culture through its many masterpieces on display, as evidenced by the 8 million visitors a year who come to contemplate the smile of the Mona Lisa or the fervor of Liberty Guiding the People. A place steeped in history, where art has been flourishing for two centuries already, to discover if you're staying in Paris! [Read more]

On the Debilly footbridge, we also find a familiar scene recreated by drag queens, including the famous Nicki Doll surrounding Barbara Butch in front of her turntables. It could have been a reconstruction of The Last Supper, another famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, with the Seine as a backdrop. One could see a multiple play on words in French here. The figure of Philippe Katerine, his body painted blue, is reminiscent of Dionysus or Bacchus, the ancient god of celebration and wine. Thomas Jolly, the artistic director of the ceremony, explains that it is a reference to another painting, The Feast of the Gods, directly linked to Olympus. This is followed by a parade that pays homage to the fashion capital.

A few seconds after the end of the "Synchronicity" sequence, in which dancers performed on the quays and at Notre-Dame de Paris, a hunchbacked figure appeared under the cross on the cathedral's spire. This was obviously a reference to Quasimodo, the famous character from Victor Hugo's "Notre-Dame de Paris," a timeless symbol of French literature.

Did you know? Who was the Quasimodo at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics?
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As for the mysterious horsewoman who rides along the Seine, she is said to be both a tribute to the goddess Sequana, a figure from Gallic mythology after whom the river is named, and to Joan of Arc, the famous heroine of French history.

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The spectacular hot air balloon basin that awaits us on the Tuileries side, rising up into the air, is a tribute to the Montgolfier brothers, the inventors of this aerostat. The first hot air balloon trip reached its highest point, 1,000 meters, while flying over the Tuileries Garden. 

Paris 2024 Olympics: the Olympic flame cauldron at the Jardin des Tuileries, an unusual cauldron
What a cauldron, my friends, what a cauldron! The Olympic flame for the Paris 2024 Olympics will take up residence in the central Jardin des Tuileries. We had imagined it on the Eiffel Tower, but it's finally in the heart of the emblematic Parisian park that the Olympic cauldron is taking up residence. But a cauldron that changes everything... A world first. We tell you all about it! [Read more]