For the first time in the history of the modern Olympic Games, the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will take place in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site: on the banks of the Seine in Paris.
On 26 July 2024 from 7.30pm Paris time, the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony will see more than 10,000 athletes, officials and artists sail from the east bank to the west bank of the Seine and perform on the surrounding bridges and monuments, in front of more than 300,000 spectators on the quays, and hundreds of millions of television viewers.
This opening ceremony is unusual in that it is not being held in a stadium, but in the heart of the city, on a site that was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1991: the banks of the Seine. From the Ile St Louis to the Pont Neuf, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, and the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine.
A large number of major monuments of the French capital are built alongside the river and on the perspectives overlooking it. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces of the Middle Ages; the Pont Neuf illustrates the spirit of French Renaissance; the coherence of the districts of the Marais and the Ile-Saint-Louis testify to Parisian town planning of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The banks of the river comprise the most masterful constructions of French classicism, with the Palais de Louvre, the Invalides, the Ecole Militaire and the Monnaie (the Mint). The conserved buildings of the Universal Exhibitions that took place in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries are numerous on the banks of the River Seine. Heading the list is the Eiffel Tower, a universally recognized icon of Paris and of iron architecture. The Ile Saint Louis, the Quai Malaquais and the Quai Voltaire offer examples of coherent architectural and urban ensembles, with very significant examples of Parisian construction of the 17th and 18th centuries. The large squares and avenues built by Haussmann at the time of Napoleon III have influenced town planning throughout the world, particularly the big cities of Latin America.
Over the next fortnight, the banks of the Seine will also host a number of Paris Olympic Games events, including beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, judo and wrestling at the Champ-de-Mars, marathon swimming from the Pont Alexandre III, fencing and taekwondo at the Grand Palais, archery at the Esplanade des Invalides, and breakdancing, BMX freestyle, skateboarding and 3x3 basketball, all at the Place de la Concorde, as well as triathlon, cycling and athletics events. The Palace and Park of Versailles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, will host the equestrian events.
Main Image: © Ko Hon Chiu Vincent
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
ArtDependence Magazine is an international magazine covering all spheres of contemporary art, as well as modern and classical art.
ArtDependence features the latest art news, highlighting interviews with today’s most influential artists, galleries, curators, collectors, fair directors and individuals at the axis of the arts.
The magazine also covers series of articles and reviews on critical art events, new publications and other foremost happenings in the art world.
If you would like to submit events or editorial content to ArtDependence Magazine, please feel free to reach the magazine via the contact page.
