The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 on Friday, 26th July, promises to be a historic and unprecedented event. For the first time in Olympic history, the ceremony will not take place in a stadium but on a river (Seine). (More Sports News)
Around 85 boats will carry nearly 7,000 athletes along a 6km route on the Seine, right through the heart of Paris. The journey will begin at the Austerlitz bridge and pass by iconic landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Pont des Arts, and Pont Neuf, and culminate near the Eiffel Tower.
Organizers have assured that every riverside and bridge along the route will be filled with dance, music, or performances.
While the lineup of artists performing remains largely secret, there are reports that Franco-Malian pop star Aya Nakamura will perform a song by the late Charles Aznavour. Additionally, international superstars Lady Gaga and Celine Dion are also rumoured to be part of the event.
The highlight of the opening ceremony is the Parade of Nations, a tradition that began at the London Olympics in 1908. This year, athletes from around the world will experience the parade in a unique setting on the River Seine. The event will be attended by over 80 heads of state and government, with more than 3,00,000 spectators expected to watch from the riverbanks.
Greece will lead the Parade of Nations, honouring its historical significance as the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games and the host of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Following Greece will be the Refugee Olympic Team.
The remaining countries will parade in alphabetical order according to the host nation's language i.e., French language. The host for the next edition (2028), which is the United States of America (USA) will come second-last and the next to next edition's host (Australia, 2032) will come third last in the Parade of Nations. France, being the host nation, will close the parade.
India will be the 84th nation to participate in the Parade of Nations. Table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal and ace shuttler PV Sindhu will be the flagbearers for India.
Here is the order in which the countries will go for the Parade of the Nations at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony:
1. Greece
2. Refugee Olympic Team
3. Afghanistan
4. South Africa
5. Albania
6. Algeria
7. Germany
8. Andorra
9. Angola
10. Antigua and Barbada
11. Saudi Arabia
12. Argentina
13. Armenia
14. Aruba
15. Austria
16. Azerbaijan
17. Bahamas
18. Bahrain
19. Bangladesh
20. Barbados
21. Belgium
22. Belize
23. Benin
24. Bermuda
25. Bhutan
26. Bolivia
27. Bosnia and Herzegovina
28. Botswana
29. Brazil
30. Brunei
31. Bulgaria
32. Burkina Faso
33. Burundi
34. Cayman Islands
35. Cambodia
36. Cameroon
37. Canada
38. Cape Verde
39. Central African Republic
40. Chile
41. China
42. Cyprus
43. Colombia
44. Comoros
45. Republic of the Congo
46. Democratic Republic of the Congo
47. Cook Islands
48. South Korea
49. Costa Rica
50. Ivory Coast
51. Croatia
52. Cuba
53. Denmark
54. Djibouti
55. Dominican Republic
56. Dominica
57. Egypt
58. El Salvador
59. United Arab Emirates
60. Ecuador
61. Eritrea
62. Spain
63. Estonia
64. Eswatini
65. Ethiopia
66. Fiji
67. Finland
68. Gabon
69. The Gambia
70. Georgia
71. Ghana
72. Great Britain
73. Grenada
74. Guam
75. Guatemala
76. Guinea
77. Guinea-Bissau
78. Equatorial Guinea
79. Guyana
80. Haiti
81. Honduras
82. Hong Kong
83. Hungary
84. India
85. Indonesia
86. Iran
87. Iraq
88. Ireland
89. Iceland
90. Israel
91. Italy
92. Jamaica
93. Japan
94. Jordan
95. Kazakhstan
96. Kenya
97. Kyrgyzstan
98. Kiribati
99. Kosovo
100. Kuwait
101. Laos
102. Lesotho
103. Latvia
104. Lebanon
105. Liberia
106. Libya
107. Liechenstein
108. Lithuania
109. Luxembourg
110. North Macedonia
111. Madagascar
112. Malaysia
113. Malawi
114. Maldives
115. Mali
116. Malta
117. Morocco
118. Marshall Islands
119. Mauritius
120. Mauritania
121. Mexico
122. Federated States of Micronesia
123. Moldova
124. Monaco
125. Mongolia
126. Montenegro
127. Mozambique
128. Myanmar
129. Namibia
130. Nauru
131. Nepal
132. Nicaragua
133. Niger
134. Nigeria
135. Norway
136. New Zealand
137. Oman
138. Uganda
139. Uzbekistan
140. Pakistan
141. Palau
142. Palestine
143. Panama
144. Papua New Guinea
145. Paraguay
146. Netherlands
147. Peru
148. Philippines
149. Poland
150. Puerto Rico
151. Portugal
152. Qatar
153. North Korea
154. Romania
155. Rwanda
156. Saint Kitts and Nevis
157. Saint Lucia
158. San Marino
159. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
160. Solomon Islands
161. Samoa
162. American Samoa
163. Sao Tome and Principe
164. Senegal
165. Serbia
166. Seychelles
167. Sierra Leone
168. Singapore
169. Slovakia
170. Slovenia
171. Somalia
172. South Sudan
173. Sudan
174. Sri Lanka
175. Sweden
176. Switzerland
177. Suriname
178. Syria
179. Tajikistan
180. Chinese Taipei
181. Tanzania
182. Chad
183. Czech Republuc
184. Thailand
185. East Timor
186. Togo
187. Tonga
188. Trinidad and Tobago
189. Tunisia
190. Turkmenistan
191. Turkey
192. Tuvalu
193. Ukraine
194. Uruguay
195. Vanuatu
196. Venezuela
197. British Virgin Islands
198. Virgin Islands
199. Vietnam
200. Yemen
201. Zambia
202. Zimbabwe
203. Australia (2032 Olympics host)
204. United States (2028 Olympics host)
205. France (2024 Olympics host).
The ceremony will commence at 11 PM IST and is expected to last about three hours and 45 minutes.
