Watch the Paris 2024 opening ceremony
CBC
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have officially started.
The unique opening ceremony, which kicked off at 1.30 p.m. ET on Friday in Paris, will see about 6,800 athletes from 206 Olympic delegations gather on over 100 vessels and sail down the Seine.
Click on the video player above to watch full coverage. The broadcast will also be available with an American Sign Language translation, as seen further below.
The flag-bearers leading Canada's ship will be sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifter Maude Charron — both gold medallists from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
On a day of utmost importance for France and its capital, with dozens of heads of state and government in town for the Olympic opening and a global audience topping 1 billion expected to tune in, authorities were scrambling to deal with widespread rail disruptions caused by what they described as coordinated overnight sabotage of high-speed train lines.
The six-kilometre cruise down the famous river will take athletes and Olympic delegations past several Paris landmarks. The journey culminates at the Trocadeo, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, as the rest of the official proceedings take place.
Thousands of people made their way through heavy security barricades more than three hours before Friday's ceremony began to find a spot to take in the spectacle.
Over 300,000 fans were expected to watch parts of the event along the route, although the early prediction is likely to be affected after attackers struck hours before the opening ceremony, blocking the country's high-speed train network.
The flag-bearers leading Canada's ship will be sprinter Andre De Grasse and weightlifter Maude Charron — both gold medallists from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Coverage from the ceremony on the CBC TV network, CBC Gem and the CBC Sports' Paris 2024 website and app will be hosted by chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and CBC Sports host Scott Russell, with the ceremony itself beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Among the usual parade of athletes, fans will also be treated to theatrical performances showcasing French culture and Paris history. Several musical acts will also perform, with Celine Dion and Lady Gaga reportedly among the headliners.
Lady Gaga rehearsed for about an hour near the Austerlitz Bridge, a sign that the American pop star will perform at Friday's opening ceremony.
She finished up around 5:40 p.m., two hours before the ceremony was set to begin, and waved to fans as she walked off with her band members.
American rapper Snoop Dogg will also carry the torch during the ceremony.
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