WeeklySA_AdminGROUNDBREAKING: A unique moment for athletes and spectators kicking off an unforgettable event in the heart of Paris
By Sports Reporter
In a few days time Paris and France will host their first-ever Paralympic Summer Games. Paris 2024 is thinking big and reinventing the Opening Ceremony by taking it outside the confines of a traditional stadium. On August 28 2024 at 20:00 local, Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées will be the stage for this groundbreaking celebration in the heart of Paris.
This innovative project will be led by Thomas Jolly, Artistic Director for the Ceremonies:
“While the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony will be the first of its kind, its monumental and popular concept is, for me, first and foremost a magnificent source of inspiration. From the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde, I look forward to creating this spectacle that will transform the heart of Paris, with performances that have never been seen before.
A spectacle that will showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody. A spectacle that will unite spectators and television audiences worldwide around the unique spirit of the Paralympic Games.”
The ceremony will open with a popular parade on the iconic Champs-Elysées, involving up to 184 delegations from around the world. Spectators will be able to enjoy this unforgettable and celebratory moment, which will be open to everyone, alongside 6,000 athletes and officials.
For ticket holders, the official parade will then take place on Place de la Concorde, in addition to the protocol and artistic sequences. The celebration of the opening of the Paralympic Games promises to be an exceptional event that will live long in the memories of all the spectators!
Working closely with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF), and the relevant authorities, Paris 2024 will ensure that universal accessibility is incorporated into all aspects of the ceremony so that athletes, participants and spectators can enjoy an experience that is free from any barriers.
Place de la Concorde is an iconic Parisian square situated between the Champs-Elysées and the Tuileries Gardens—just a short distance from the Assemblée Nationale and the Grand Palais. The largest square in Paris, it links several iconic buildings and monuments that illustrate the history of France. Created in the Enlightenment period, Place de la Concorde represents the philosophical, literary and cultural legacy that we have inherited from this philosophical movement which resonates with the Paralympic values.
Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées, the world’s most beautiful avenue, will be transformed into an outstanding stage to showcase the Paralympic movement in a breathtaking setting.
To ensure that the spotlight is firmly on the achievements of the Paralympic athletes, the values that they embody and the emotions that they inspire in us, Paris 2024 wanted to offer them a groundbreaking showcase by organising the first Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony outside the confines of a stadium.
Looking beyond this exceptional setting offered for the leading athletes and spectators from around the world, this ceremony at the heart of the city is a strong symbol illustrating our ambition to capitalise on our country hosting its first-ever Paralympic Games to position the issue of inclusion for people with disabilities at the heart of our society.
The Games have an unrivalled transformational power. By choosing, for the first time, to organise the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games at the heart of the city, on Place de la Concorde, this square which symbolises more than any other the unity of our nation, we are offering opportunities for everyone to see these athletes whose performances both command admiration and are truly inspirational. Enabling us, all together, to capitalise on this unique opportunity to change the way disabilities are viewed.
The city of love will get each Paralympian’s heart beating. What an incredible moment for our athletes, who will be part of a historic Opening Ceremony, on the world’s most famous avenue, surrounded by all the charm of Paris. The Paris 2024 Games will be an exceptional showcase to celebrate Paralympic sport in the eyes of the whole world.
The Opening Ceremony will mark the start of innovative Games that will leave lasting memories thanks to the achievements of exceptional athletes. Each Paralympic sport will have a prestigious space for expression, with events held at iconic sites that are representative of France’s heritage.
Through these Games and their ambitious Opening Ceremony at the heart of the city, Paris 2024 wants to leave a lasting and necessary legacy by changing the way disabilities are viewed and, looking beyond the Games, helping to build a more inclusive society and public space:
