Memorable moments of the one of a kind Games opening

Boundary-breaking, genre-defying and unprecedented: the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics got the 2024 Summer Games underway with a pulsating energy and unique show that will never be forgotten.

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Here are five memorable moments:

The uninvited rain

Opening ceremony mastermind Thomas Jolly, a renowned French theater director, had carefully choreographed every minute of the festival along the banks of the River Seine.

But there was one factor he could not plan for – the weather. The opening ceremony had the misfortune to take place as heavy summer downpours descended on Paris even as forecasts showed days of hot sunny weather ahead.

As the national teams paraded down the Seine on boats, they sought to make the best of the situation.

Renowned French classical pianist Alexandre Kantorow was drenched as he performed on a Paris bridge without any cover, while social media users expressed concern for his equally unprotected instrument.

The great comeback