Spectacular photos from the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games offers the host country the chance to amaze the world with a unique and spectacular show.

The opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics was just that: organizers ditched the traditional ceremony, becoming the first Games to hold the opening event in an entire city rather than a stadium.

Thousands of athletes and performers paraded along the River Seine on a rainy night, before the night sky and the Eiffel Tower were lit up in spectacular colours, creating a hugely ambitious and unique spectacle.

Below are some of the most striking photos from the evening.

After a three-month journey from Greece to Paris, the Olympic torch was handed over to former French footballer Zinedine Zidane, before being passed to tennis stars Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams.

In an epic climax, French judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-Jose Perec used the Olympic torch to set a huge hot air balloon alight.

The giant, luminous balloon then flew over the city of Paris, marking the beginning of the greatest spectacle on Earth.

The opening ceremony began with an impressive display of colored smoke, resembling the French flag, over the Pont d’Austerlitz.

Fans and spectators were present in large numbers and were – in general – not deterred by the wet weather.

French President Emmanuel Macron looked on, along with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was also spotted attending the ceremony, and he seemed well prepared for the rain.

Several celebrities were present at the evening, including American singer Ariana Grande with her British Wicked colleague Cynthia Erivo.

As expected, there was a heightened security presence with tens of thousands of police officers deployed across the city.

During the event, a mysterious masked torchbearer ran and parkoured through the city, across the rooftops along the river.

Fleets of team boats, representing countries from all over the world, sailed down the Seine, proudly flying their flags.

British diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover carried the flag for Team GB.

The event was interspersed with elaborate performances of all kinds, from Lady Gaga, comedians, ballet dancers and acrobats to a finale by Celine Dion, a distant figure on stage halfway up the Eiffel Tower.