The competition may have already started, but Friday night's opening ceremony officially kicked off the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This year's celebration was unique, as the Parade of Nations took place on water for the first time. The plethora of athletes traveled down the Seine river as a part of the ceremony, with boats representing each country wading down the Paris waterway.
Athletes traversed through the city on a 3.7-mile-long route, with the entire ceremony lasting four hours.
Not only was there plenty of flag waving and torch lightning, but music as well. A number of high-profile artists were in Paris to perform at the ceremony, including a 13-time Grammy winner.
Here is what to know about the performers at the Olympic opening ceremony.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
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Who is performing at Olympics opening ceremony?
- Lady Gaga
- Celine Dion
- Gojira
- Aya Nakamura
- Sofiane Pamart
- Juliette Armanet
- Rim'K
A handful of artists were in Paris to perform different songs throughout the ceremony. The two biggest names undoubtedly were Lady Gaga and Celine Dion.
Lady Gaga opened the musical performances with a rousing rendition of Zizi Jeanmaire's "Mon Truc en Plumes," and Dion closed out the ceremony with “L'Hymne à l'amour” by the French singer Édith Piaf.
Lady Gaga performing on the Seine during the opening ceremony of the #Olympics pic.twitter.com/na17RYbXLK
— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 26, 2024
I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and… pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 26, 2024
"Si je dois revenir chanter, ce sera pour les Jeux Olympiques."
— France tv (@FranceTV) July 26, 2024
4 ans après sa dernière performance sur scène, voici la sublime performance de Céline Dion qui reprend "L'hymne à l'amour" d'Edith Piaf.#ceremoniedouverture #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Y7qM4ARKNO
Lady Gaga is the 13-time Grammy winner, known for her hits such as "Bad Romance", "Poker Face", "Shallow", and "Telephone." Dion, a five-time Grammy winner, is best known for her No. 1 hits like "The Power of Love", "Think Twice", "Because You Loved Me", and "My Heart Will Go On."
There also was local talent headlining the music acts, including French metal band Gojira, French pianist Sofiane Pamart and French singer-songwriter Juliette Armanet.
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Can Lady Gaga speak French?
Lady Gaga is famous for incorporating French lines into her lyrics. Those songs with a bit of French in it include "Love Game" ("Dans, the love game"), "Bad Romance" ("Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche"), "Bloody Mary" ("J'veux pas mourir toute seule") and "Fashion."
While she may sing French, she does not speak it much. Gaga knows the language, but in her own words, her French "is s—."
Is Celine Dion French?
Dion is French ... well, French-Canadian.
The singer was born and raised in Charlemagne, Quebec, a city about 15 miles northeast of Montreal. Both of her parents are from French descent, and she grew up speaking French, like most people born in Quebec.
Who is Gojira?
Gojira is a popular metal band from France. The group first formed in the 1990s under the name Godzilla, but they later renaming themselves Gojira, which is the original Japanese name for Godzilla.
MORE: Order of countries in Olympic opening ceremony
The band, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Joe Duplantier, lead guitarist Christian Andreu, drummer Mario Dulplantier, and bassist Jean-Michel Labadie, has toured with the likes of Metallica and Slipknot.
Gojira is the first metal band to perform at the Olympic opening ceremony.
🏅 GOJIRA won gold at the Olympics pic.twitter.com/b8VWAcXjlT
— revolvermag (@Revolvermag) July 26, 2024
Do performers get paid for the opening ceremony?
Contrary to some reports, the musical acts performing at the opening ceremony will not be paid.
A spokesperson for the Olympics denied rumors that artists like Dion are being paid a pretty penny to sing.
"Contrary to some media reports, the performers at the Paris 2024 Games ceremonies will not receive a fee for their performance," a spokesperson for the Olympics said to Page Six. "Their decision to perform under these conditions reflects their desire to be part of a historic event for France and for the world of sports."
What time is the Olympics opening ceremony?
- Date: Friday, July 26
- Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
NBC's coverage of the 2024 Opening Ceremony begins with its preview show at noon ET on Friday, July 26. The actual Opening Ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. ET.
NBC's encore presentation of the Opening Ceremony is scheduled for primetime, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
