Spectacular photos from the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony

Pool/AFP A photograph taken from an helicopter on July 26, 2024 shows an aerial view of Eiffel Tower (C) in front of the Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

The Olympic opening ceremony presents the host country with the opportunity to wow the world with a uniquely spectacular show.

The opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was just that – the organisers ditched the traditional ceremony, and became the first Games to hold the opening event within a city as a whole rather than in a stadium.

Thousands of athletes and performers paraded along the River Seine in the City of Light on Friday evening, creating a hugely ambitious, one-of-a-kind spectacle.

Below are some of the most eye-catching photos from the night.

Lars Baron/Getty Images Smoke resembling the flag of Team France is shown over Pont d’Austerlitz during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France

The opening ceremony began with a stunning display of coloured smoke resembling the French flag rising over the Pont d’Austerlitz.

Fans and spectators were in keen attendance, and – for the most part – were undeterred by the wet weather.

Tingshu Wang/Reuters Spectators in red, white and blue wave flags

Claudia Greco/Reuters Spectators wearing top hats with Eiffel Towers on top sit in the stands

Oli Scarff/AFP Attendees wear rain covers as they sit in the stands in front of the Eiffel Tower

Steph Chambers/Getty Images A woman wearing a cap covers her mouth with her hands. Her nails are painted with flags and symbols

French President Emmanuel Macron was watching alongside President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach.

Martin Divíšek/EPA A smiling French President Emmanuel Macron (R) shakes hands with IOC president Thomas Bach as they take their seats in the Trocadero

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was also spotted watching the ceremony, seemingly well-prepared for the rain.

Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds up the hood of his rainmac surrounded by others in ponchos seated in the stands

Various celebrities attended the evening, including American singer Ariana Grande with her British Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo.

Christophe Petit-Tesson/PA Media Under umbrellas Ariana Grande hold hands with Cynthia Erivo as they arrive at the Trocadero

As expected there was a heightened security presence, with tens of thousands of police deployed across the city.

Franck Fife/AFP Members of the French Armed Forces in a motor boat are seen through a boat's porthole on the river Seine as they patrol prior to the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris

Teresa Suarez/EPA Security forces deploy at the top of the French Parliament during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Throughout the event, a mystery masked torchbearer was running and parkour-ing their way through the city on riverside rooftops.

Bernat Armangué/Reuters A hooded and masked torchbearer carries the Olympic flame over a building along the Seine River in Paris, France, during the opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Peter Cziborra/Pool/Getty Images A masked torchbearer runs atop the Musee d'Orsay with the Notre-Dame-de-Paris cathedral in the background during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024

Fleets of team boats, with countries from all around the world, sailed down the Seine, flying their flags with pride.

British diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover bore the flag for Team GB.

Naomi Baker/Reuters Flagbearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover, of Team GB, gesture on a boat while holding the national flag on the River Seine during the opening ceremony

Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Team Greece wave at cheering spectators from their boat on the River Seine during the opening ceremony

Aijaz Rahi/AP Indian athletes wave their national flags from a boat on the Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics

Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters Athletes of Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Botswana aboard a boat in the floating parade on the River Seine during the opening ceremony

Michael Reaves/Reuters Athletes from Team Kenya pose for a photo prior to the Olympic opening ceremony

Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters Athletes from Team Spain wave Spanish flags during the opening ceremony

Albert Gea/Reuters Athletes from Japan aboard a boat in the floating parade on the River Seine wave their country's flag

Steph Chambers/Getty Images Flagbearers Yu Feng of China and Long Ma of China, wave their flag on the team boat along the River Seine

The event was interspersed with elaborate performances of all kinds, with music from Lady Gaga, cabaret performers, ballet dancers, acrobats and theatrical artists.