It had otherwise been an opening ceremony like no other as athletes sailed down the river to the sound of Lady Gaga and more. Despite treacherous conditions caused by the rain, there was barely a foot out of step among the dancers or even a skid from the BMX riders.
Zinedine Zidane starred in a video to tee up the arrival of the Olympic flame before flares set off from the Pont d’Austerlitz formed a tricolore.
A total of 85 boats then began carrying the team delegations on a 6km journey through the centre of Paris, with more than 300,000 spectators lining the banks of the river.
Lady Gaga was the first to steal the show, bursting forth from behind a pair of outsized pink pom-poms to deliver a burlesque take on the French classic Mon truc en plumes. The performances came in all shapes and sizes, with Gojira adding a dramatic twist of heavy metal.