2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony: Champs-Élysées, inclusion… what are the latest indiscretions ?

Une cérémonie d’ouverture “inclusive” au pied des Champs-Elysées MAXPPP

Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Élysées and 4,400 para-athletes: the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games will be held on August 28 at 8:00 p.m. in a sumptuous setting, on and at the bottom of the legendary Parisian avenue, with the aim of being “inclusive” and “spectacular”, according to the organizers.

The Place de la Concorde as a theater

In front of 65,000 spectators seated on the stands of the Place de la Concorde, in the heart of Paris, this three-hour ceremony imagined by Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris Games, will launch the first Summer Paralympic Games organized in France.

Like the one on July 26, it is being held outside an Olympic stadium. Four stages will be set up on the Place de la Concorde. The team promises“performances never seen before” and a show very focused on the body.

En 2024, pour la première fois de son histoire, Paris accueillera les Jeux paralympiques ! Leur cérémonie d'ouverture aura lieu dans 500 jours, le 28 août 2024 sur la place de la Concorde et sur les Champs-Elysées. pic.twitter.com/B7gng8Mlco

— Paris (@Paris) April 16, 2023

It will be a condensed “history, with its paradoxes”, a place where “they cut off the heads of our kings”, but also the arrival de “the most beautiful (avenue) in the world, on which we celebrate our “Blues” in 1998, where we gather to celebrate New Year's Day”, he explained.

Who is the choreographer, Alexander Ekman ?

Alexander Ekman, the main choreographer of this ceremony, is recognized throughout the world, with more than 50 creations and collaborations with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Boston Ballet.

He is known for his grandiose scenographies, such as when he floods the stages with 6,000 liters of water for his version of “Swan Lake” or his rain of green balls falling from the sky of the Opéra Garnier, in Paris ("Play").

Défilé sur les Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Alexander Ekman… ces détails sur la cérémonie d'ouverture des Jeux paralympiques pic.twitter.com/JxFy9GZAK5

— Le Live Switek (@LeLiveSwitek) August 12, 2024

During a meeting with AFP in July, Alexander Ekman confirmed that this ceremony would be a "festive AND political" event, according to Thomas Jolly's wishes. Dance serves a strong message about inclusion, according to him.

For the first time, the choreographer collaborated with dancers with disabilities. “They are extraordinary. They are more capable than many able-bodied people, both mentally and physically”, he assures.

VIPs

The 4,400 para-athletes from 182 delegations will parade from the Arc de Triomphe. Among them, 240 French athletes should take part in this popular parade, led by Nantenin Keïta and Alexis Hanquinquant, the two French flag bearers.

No big name of guest artist has been leaked at this stage but the team has announced that it would be a “crossing of our musical repertoire”. The music is once again by Victor Le Masne, composer of the Olympic anthem and the costumes created under the supervision of Daphné Bürki.

Place de la Concorde will host the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games after having hosted the Olympic events. MAXPPP – TERESA SUAREZ

The Olympic cauldron will once again be illuminated and will take off into the Parisian sky, as was the case every evening during the two weeks of Olympic competitions.

The closing ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 8 at the Stade de France, like that of the Olympic Games.

Accessibility

Audio description, specialized shuttles… No specific details have been released on the accessibility features planned for the inauguration ceremony.

Specific places are nevertheless provided by the ticket office for people with disabilities, specifically in wheelchairs or companions, for a price ranging from 150 to 700 euros on the internet.

Paris: carton rouge pour l'accessibilité pour les personnes en situation de handicap pic.twitter.com/eJYEnnDf0u

— BFM Paris Île-de-France (@BFMParis) August 19, 2024

Some 15,000 members of the armed forces order will be engaged for the opening ceremony, with a total of “35,000 spectators in the stands at Place de la Concorde – including nearly 5,000 athletes and 170 Olympic delegations – and 15,000 seats open to the public at the bottom of the Champs-Elysées”, according to Gérald Darmanin.

The minister spoke of internal security perimeters and the fight against terrorism around Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries Gardens, the details of which will be announced later.