O opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics is scheduled for Friday.
Instead of the traditional march to a stadium, around 10,500 athletes will parade in more than 90 boats on the River Seine for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). This will begin the ceremony, not mark its end, another break with tradition.
The ceremony begins at 1:30 pm EDT/7:30 pm CEST and is expected to last over three hours.
The parade starts at the Austerlitz Bridge, next to the Jardin des Plantes, and follows the course of the Seine from east to west. It runs along two islands in the city center before passing through several bridges and gates. Athletes on board the boats will get glimpses of several Olympic venues, including La Concorde Urban Park (3X3 basketball, break, BMX freestyle cycling, skateboarding), Invalides (archery, athletics – marathon finish, road cycling – start time trial) and the Grand Palais (fencing, taekwondo). The parade ends at the Iena Bridge, which connects the Eiffel Tower, on the left bank of the Seine, to the Trocadéro neighborhood, on the right bank. The end of the ceremony is at the Trocadéro. There, among other ceremonial procedures, French President Emmanuel Macron will give the opening speech.
The ceremony will air on NBC and the Peacock and NBC Olympic platforms – NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app.
A preview will air on NBC at noon EDT, with live coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m. and an enhanced primetime encore at 7:30 p.m.
About 220,000 spectators invited and screened by security They are expected to fill the upper reaches of the banks of the Seine, and a further 104,000 paying spectators will watch on the lower bank of the river and around Trocadéro square.
Anyone in Paris and unable to get tickets will be able to watch the ceremony on 80 screens installed throughout the city.
In addition to the athletes who will participate in the parade, 3,000 dancers, artists and other athletes will be present at the opening and closing ceremonies. Most entertainment acts remain secret. NBC News reported that Celine Dion and Lady Gaga have arrived in Paris amid speculation that one or both pop singers will perform at the opening ceremony.
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