Olympics opening ceremony best moments: Rain-soaked USA entrance, Celine Dion performance highlight start to 2024 Paris Games

Dan Treacy

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Olympics opening ceremony best moments: Rain-soaked USA entrance, Celine Dion performance highlight start to 2024 Paris Games image

The Olympics began with a four-hour marathon of an opening ceremony Friday, and the very best was saved for last.

The rain couldn't put a damper on the athletes' enthusiasm, as all 206 delegations were welcomed to the Olympics with cheers even as the rain fell. Performances by Lady Gaga and Rim'K were among the early highlights, but it was a fiery performance by heavy metal band Gojira that seemed to really fire up the crowd.

By the time France and future hosts Australia and the United States arrived, the rain reached a fever pitch. It might have made for an uncomfortable entrance for the athletes, but it created some unbelievable images — including video of LeBron James carrying the American flag as it waved furiously through the ugly conditions.

The journey to the lighting of the Olympic cauldron was a long one, featuring not just French stars Tony Parker and Zinedine Zidane but also international stars Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. By the time the torch passed the Louvre, it was handed off to Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec, who lit the hot air balloon cauldron and watched it lift off.

MORE: Day-by-day schedule for 2024 Olympics

The ceremony ended with a moving performance by Celine Dion, who has struggled with her health in recent years, as the hot air balloon floated above the heart of Paris.

Paris organizers set out to create an opening ceremony unlike any other, and for better or worse, they did just that despite the rain.

The Sporting News followed live updates and highlights from the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.

MORE: Watch the Olympics opening ceremony live with Fubo (free trial)

Olympics opening ceremony updates, highlights from 2024 Paris Games

(All times Eastern)

5:30 p.m. — The view of the cauldron hovering over the heart of Paris will be the lasting image from this four-hour ceremony.

5:27 p.m. — Celine Dion is now delivering a moving performance to end the ceremony. She hasn't performed much at all in recent years due to a rare disease she's been battling.

5:23 p.m. — Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec light the Olympic cauldron, which takes the form of a hot air balloon that lifts off.

5:08 p.m. — What we still don't know: Where is the Olympic flame going to be lit? Who will light it? Will Celine Dion perform?

5:00 p.m. — Rafael Nadal is now on a boat with the Olympic flame, and Serena Williams appears to be right there with him. 

4:59 p.m. — Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal surprisingly just received the Olympic torch from Zinedine Zidane. Nadal isn't French, but he has a long history of dominance in the French Open and is nearing the end of his career. The torch's journey continues...

4:44 p.m. — The head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee is the first of a few speakers addressing the crowd.

4:28 p.m. — An individual being called the spirit of the Olympics has arrived at the venue with the Olympic flag. 

4:11 p.m. — John Lennon's "Imagine" is being performed by Juliette Armanet next to a flaming piano on the Seine River.

4:08 p.m. — The festivities will now move inside for more performances and the lighting of the Olympic torch.

3:53 p.m. — The crowd erupts as France and its 571 athletes are introduced on a massive boat.

3:50 p.m. — Team USA has arrived! They're a bit wet, but they're not lacking spirit. LeBron James and Coco Gauff are at the front holding the flags. France is next.

3:49 p.m. — It's Australia's turn. The Australians will host the Olympics in Brisbane in 2032.

3:45 p.m. — Ukraine receives a nice ovation in its first Olympic appearance since the start of its war with Russia.

3:44 p.m. — It's nearly fully dark in Paris, and the parade of nations only has about 14 countries left.

3:35 p.m. — In comes Serbia, but it's tough to see whether Nuggets star and noted parade fan Nikola Jokic is on the boat.

3:30 p.m. — North Korea floats into the parade of nations. This is the nation's first Olympic appearance since 2018, and they're sending 16 athletes to the games. Read more about North Korea's inclusion in the Olympics here.

3:21 p.m. — French rapper Rim'K is now performing in Paris.

3:17 p.m. — Team USA is on the move.

3:01 p.m. — Japan arrives as the rain continues to come down in Paris. The sun will set in about 36 minutes.

3:00 p.m. — Axelle Saint-Cirel with a moving performance of the French national anthem as the countries continue to parade in.

2:50 p.m. — The torch, still carried by a masked individual, is continuing its journey along the Seine River as the parade of nations rolls on.

2:46 p.m. — As Mike Tirico points out, Iran and Iraq are unsurprisingly not sharing a boat. Iraq is with Ireland, whose delegation includes golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry.

2:40 p.m. — The parade of nations is up to the letter "G," with Georgia and Ghana floating in. 

2:35 p.m. — Spain arrives with 404 athletes on one boat, including tennis star Carlos Alcaraz.

2:28 p.m. — The parade of nations resumes with Cyprus, Congo and others. 

2:22 p.m. — The ceremony is moving from the liberty portion of the night to the equality portion. It begins with a heart of smoke in the sky above the Seine River.

2:16 p.m. — Heavy metal band Gojira is performing right now while overlooking the Seine River. Appropriately, it's starting to get dark in Paris.

2:14 p.m. — Michael Phelps is on hand! He'll be helping out with NBC's swimming coverage.

2:07 p.m. — The broadcast continues to show a mystery person carrying the Olympic torch. We'll see who gets to light the flame soon...

2:03 p.m. — It's now China's turn to enter the Olympic Games. The weather has brightened up a bit and skies are still light.

2:02 p.m. — Canada has arrived!

1:57 p.m. — Bhutan with a fun little boat of their own. 

1:49 p.m. — And now Lady Gaga takes the stage (or the steps) with a performance in French. Celine Dion is also expected to perform at some point.

1:45 p.m. — Boat No. 5 includes Argentina and Saudi Arabia. Many boats will feature multiple countries. 

1:40 p.m. — As is tradition, Greece enters first. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of two flag bearers on the nation's boat. Each boat that enters is welcomed with a bit of a show, as water is spraying along the right side of the river.

1:35 p.m. — French president Emmanuel Macron has been introduced at the ceremony. He's one of many dignitaries present in Paris, including U.S. First Lady Jill Biden. 

1:32 p.m. — The ceremony is about to get underway from Paris.

1:05 p.m. — Basketball standouts LeBron James (USA), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Dennis Schroder (Germany) are among today/\'s flag bearers. Here is the full list.

12:30 p.m. — We're still waiting to find out who will light the Olympic flame for France, and that likely won't be revealed until the very moment the individual receives the torch. 

11:55 a.m. — In case you missed it, the Olympics already got underway in the last two days with soccer and rugby starting up. Competition begins in full tomorrow.

11:45 a.m. — It has started raining in Paris, with just under two hours until the start of the opening ceremony.

10:52 a.m. — Weather will be something to watch closely today, as there is a 100 percent chance of rain in Paris. Rain might not necessarily be heavy, but it's expected to begin before the start of the ceremony in the coming hours.

10:45 a.m. — Snoop Dogg got to carry the Olympic torch in the hours leading up to the ceremony.

Olympics opening ceremony start time

  • Date: Friday, July 26
  • Time: 1:30 p.m. 

The opening ceremony is set to begin in Paris at 1:30 p.m. ET, or 7:30 p.m. local time. NBC's coverage of the festivities will begin at noon ET. 

NBC will broadcast a prime-time presentation of the opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

How to watch Olympics opening ceremony

  • TV channel: NBC
  • Live stream: Peacock, Fubo

The Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics will air live on NBC, which is again home to the Olympics.

Mike Tirico will serve as the on-air host for NBC's opening ceremony coverage, alongside Kelly Clarkson, NFL great Peyton Manning, Maria Taylor, Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

The event can also be streamed live on Peacock or with Fubo, which offers a free trial.

How long is the Olympics opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony is likely to last close to four hours. The ceremony spanned about three hours and 53 minutes when the Summer Games started in Tokyo three years ago, with the parade of nations alone lasting just under two hours.

The setup of this year's ceremony is a bit different, with boats traveling through the Seine River rather than athletes walking into a venue, so that could affect the length of the festivities. Still, it's best to settle in knowing the ceremony will take some time.

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Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.