Paris 2024 Olympics Breaks Tradition In Opening Ceremony: When Does It Start? Where To Watch?

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are set to make history with the opening ceremony, which will depart from the traditional stadium setting. 

Instead, the parade of nations will take place on the River Seine, which will mark the first time in the history of the modern Games that the opening ceremony will be held outside of a stadium.

NBC Olympics president and executive producer Molly Solomon expressed her excitement about this bold move by the Paris 2024 organizers. “When people ask, ‘What are you most excited about?’ It has to be the opening ceremonies because something like this has never been done before,” she said.

The event will be the most complicated television production ever undertaken, and the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS) will operate 100 cameras along the parade route. Each delegation will have access to a live mobile phone camera on the boat. NBC will have an additional 40 cameras on the scene and track Team USA’s route, as the U.S. will be second-to-last down the river, given that it will host the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

The broadcast team will feature a lineup of renowned personalities, such as Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning ,and Today show hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, stationed on a bridge over the Seine. Reporter Maria Taylor will be embedded with Team USA and interview athletes from the river.

“France is throwing the world’s biggest party,” said Solomon, “and we get to be there.” 

The opening ceremony will air live on NBC and stream live on Peacock on July 26, with live coverage beginning at noon E.T. and primetime starting at 7:30 p.m. E.T.

uInterview has spoken with several Olympic hopefuls and competitors for this year, such as runner Gabby Thomas, gymnast Evita Griskenas, skater Mina Stess and more.