See photos of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

With umbrellas deployed, thousands of athletes and spectators who lined the streets of Paris officially kicked off the 2024 Olympics on Friday.

The ambitious ceremony kicked off with a giant plume of blue, white and red smoke in the colors of the French national flag with the Parade of Nations from the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes.

Athletes aboard boats traveled the course of the Seine River from east to west, getting a glimpse of several Olympic venues including the La Concorde Urban Park, Invalides and the Grand Palais.