Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
France 24
France 24
National
FRANCE 24

Opening Ceremony: Olympic flame rises over Paris as Céline Dion sings Edith Piaf

The Olympic cauldron is seen lit beside the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony. © Jeremy Lee, Reuters

The Olympic flame rose over Paris Friday night in a floating cauldron lit by French athletes Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner at the height of the Opening Ceremony. Canadian music icon Céline Dion brought down the curtain by giving her first public performance in four years, singing Edith Piaf’s "Hymne à l'Amour” from the Eiffel Tower. Worsening rain did little to dampen the enthusiasm of hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the banks of the River Seine as a floating parade carried nearly 7,000 athletes throughout the night. Read our liveblog to see how the Opening Ceremony unfolded.

This live is no longer being updated. For more of our Olympic coverage, click here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.