Lady Gaga wowed audiences worldwide with a stunning performance to kick off the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. However, her much-anticipated act was not as live as it appeared. Despite the dazzling display, the performance was pre-recorded due to technical issues and rainy weather.
The Grammy Award winner dazzled fans with her rendition of "Mon Truc en Plumes," a tribute to French icon Zizi Jeanmaire. The show took place along the Seine River, but, according to reports, Gaga's performance was filmed hours before it aired. The Associated Press noted that Gaga was seen warming up on stage about three hours before the ceremony and performed for about an hour.
Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremony choreographer Maud le Pladec explained to Variety why the performance was pre-recorded. “For safety reasons, we had to pre-record it once we knew for sure it was going to rain,” Pladec said. “We had minute-by-minute updates and had never watched the weather forecast so closely in our lives.”
She continued, “The soil would have been slippery. Gaga was wearing heels, very near the water, and there were stairs. We had to be extremely cautious.” The decision to pre-record the performance was made to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
After filming, Gaga watched the performance from her dressing room before heading back to her hotel. She later shared her feelings on X, saying, “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 theatre.”
Gaga also expressed her deep connection with French culture, stating, “Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music. I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth—Paris.”
