Paris Olympics 2024: Opening Ceremony To Be Held During Sunset On July 26

It's the firs time an Olympic opening ceremony will be held outside a stadium setting, in line with the Paris organizers' motto: “Games Wide Open.” About 10,500 athletes will parade through t💛he h𒊎eart of the French capital on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.

Organizers said the open-air event wilꦕl start on July 26 at 7:30 pm (Par𝔉is time).

They said the ceremony will offer “an unprecedented experience, using the natural light of the setting sun with all its nuances to illuminate the river promenade of all the world's best athletes along the Seine, in the heart of the capital.”

This week, the French government said tourists ღwon't be given free access to watch the opening ceremony over security concern💫s. Free access will be invitation-only instead.

Organizers had planned a grandiose opening ceremony on July 26 for as many as 6,00,000 people, most watching free of charge from riverbanks. But, security andไ logistical concerns — and an outcry from booksellers along the city's picturesque quays — have led the government to progressively scale back its ambitions.

Earlier this year, th🔯e overall number of spectators was reduced to around 3,00,000.