PARIS.- The ceremony of opening of the Olympic Games from Paris is just a few hours away from happening.
Instead of a traditional march to a stadium, some 10,500 athletes They will parade down the River Seine in more than 90 boats for six kilometres (3.7 miles). This will kick off the ceremony, but will not mark its end, another break with tradition.
What time does the opening ceremony start?
The ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. New York time (1730 GMT) and is expected to last more than three hours.
Where is the opening ceremony held?
The parade starts at the Pont d’Austerlitz, next to the Jardin des Plantes, and follows the course of the Seine from east to west. It goes around two islands in the city centre before passing under several bridges and footbridges. Athletes on board the boats will be able to take a look at several Olympic venues, such as the Parc Urbane La Concorde (3X3 basketball, breaking, BMX freestyle, skateboarding), Invalides (archery, athletics, marathon finish, road cycling, time trial) and the Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo). The parade ends at the Pont d’Iena, which links the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine to the Trocadéro district on the right bank. The ceremony will end at the Trocadero. There, among other ceremonial events, French President Emmanuel Macron will give his opening speech.
How can I watch the opening ceremony?
In the United States, the ceremony will be broadcast on NBC and on the Peacock and NBC Olympic platforms: NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC app and the NBC Olympics app.
A preview will air on NBC at noon, with live coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. and an enhanced replay will air in primetime at 7:30 p.m.
Some 220,000 invited and security-checked spectators are expected to fill the upper tiers on the banks of the Seine and another 104,000 paying spectators will watch from the lower bank of the river and around the Trocadéro square.
Those in Paris who were unable to secure tickets will be able to watch the ceremony on 80 giant screens set up across the city.
Who will perform at the opening ceremony?
In addition to the athletes who will participate in the parade, 3,000 dancers, artists and other athletes will take part in the opening and closing ceremonies. Most of the star performers remain under wraps. NBC News reported that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga arrived in Paris amid speculation that one or both will perform at the opening ceremony.
What happens if it rains during the opening ceremony?
Well, spectators and athletes will get wet because there is no roof over the Seine.
According to the latest weather forecast, there is a slight chance of rain. Meteo-France, the French weather service, is forecasting cloudy skies from midday, with light showers in the morning. The weather is expected to improve in the afternoon, but the weather service warned on Thursday that showers could hit the Paris region in the evening.
If it rains, the ceremony is expected to go ahead as planned.
Source: AP