CÉLINE DION

BRAVE IS UNBEATABLE

THE RALLYING CRY FOR TEAM CANADA

AND SHES LIVING IT pic.twitter.com/zSzww3xyft

"WOW Céline Dion just performed for the first time in four years on the Eiffel Tower for the #Olympics #OpeningCeremony and absolutely crushed it," wrote @WUTangKids. "I''m totally not crying, you''re crying that was awesome"

WOW Céline Dion just performed for the first time in four years on the Eiffel Tower for the #Olympics #OpeningCeremony and absolutely crushed it¦.Im totally not crying, youre crying 🥹 that was awesome pic.twitter.com/TYLefG0ReY

Dion was diagnosed with "Stiff-Person Syndrome" in 2022, a rare autoimmune disorder that makes activities like singing difficult by causing muscle stiffness and painful spasms.

Lady Gaga, who was rumored to show up, also made an appearance—donning a dress full of black and pink peacock feathers.

¦Gaga oh la la!

Excuse us as we pick our jaws off of the floor 🤯 @ladygaga just blew us away with a dazzling French cabaret performance at the #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony! pic.twitter.com/oXBtU8wit3

She descended from a gold staircase and belted — entirely in French — the song "Mon Truc en Plue (My Thing With Feathers.)"

I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song”a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and¦ pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR

French singer and actor Philippe Katerine sang "Naked," while French metal band Gojira performed as well.

Sparks flew as French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura made her entrance.

AYA NAKAMURA #ceremoniedouverture #OpeningCeremony #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Mc7V9EckBw

Former French soccer star Zinedine Zidane kicked off the ceremony with the Olympic torch passing. Snoop Dogg, who is working as NBC''s special correspondent in Paris, carried the torch on its final leg.

Artists from the Moulin Rouge performed the can-can in pink costumes.

Because we can, can, can! 💃

80 artists from the Moulin Rouge perform the iconic dance that dates back to the 1820s.

Their pink costumes have been specifically designed for the #OpeningCeremony. Très chic. 👌#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/3b7dFsXgx5

Thousands of athletes crowded onto double-decker boats that paraded down the Seine, passing iconic Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The cathedral''s bell rang out for the first time since a devastating fire ripped through its roof and spire in 2019.

Team USA basketball players and NBA superstars Joel Embiid and Steph Curry were seen wearing Olympic-themed shades.

I look good in everything.

-Joel Embiid pic.twitter.com/3oggALUwPH

"The rain can''t stop us," four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said.

James, who was selected in a vote as one of Team USA''s captains in Paris, was among a large contingent of American athletes crowded into a tourism boat along the Seine. Despite the soggy weather, their smiles were easy to spot.

Noah Lyles, a sprinter, showed off his manicure that spelled out the word "icon" during an interview.

Noah Lyles nailed it.

📺 #ParisOlympics Opening Ceremony on NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/DHhi4uxvPG

Tom Daley and Helen Glover, the flag bearers for Britain, put their own twist to the ceremony as they were seen reimagining the classic "I''m flying" scene from Titanic. Daley, a diver, held his arms out near the railing while Glover, a rower, put her arms around his waist.

Tom Daley 🤝 Being iconic at the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/WF52QfEY75

Fans chanted "Allez les Bleus, Allez les Bleus," as the French delegation entered into the parade.

"The rain made it more funny to be honest," said Austrian marathon swimmer Jan Hercog, who''ll compete in the Seine — if it''s deemed clean enough.

A portion of the ceremony celebrated women, with 10 gold-colored statues of famous French female figures, from Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen during the French Revolution, to philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, explorer Jeanne Barret, activist Louise Michel and politician Simone Veil.

💛 A tribute to 10 golden heroines of French history.

Olympe de Gouges, Alice Milliat, Gisèle Halimi, Simone de Beauvoir, Paulette Nardal, Jeanne Barret, Louise Michel, Christine de Pizan, Alice Guy and Simone Veil.#Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/VeUCrrDJ5q

The statues rose on pedestals as the national anthem, "La Marseillaise," was performed.

This year''s Olympics are aiming to be the first in history with equal numbers of male and female athletes.

Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.

Update 07/26/24 6:45 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Monica is a Newsweek reporter based in Boston. Her focus is reporting on breaking news. Monica joined Newsweek in 2024. She is a graduate of Clark University, with a master''s from both Clark University and Northwestern University. She was part of the team named a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigation as well as a winner of the George Polk award for their work uncovering Phillips Respironics wrongdoings with their breathing machines.

You can get in touch with Monica by emailing m.sager@newsweek.com. Languages: English.

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