Live broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics kicked off on Friday with a fictional scenario showing that the Olympic flame was delayed in arriving in time for the spectacular show on the River Seine.

Details of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics The famous French football player Zinedine Zidane appeared in a recorded video clip running in Paris and carrying the torch to the destroyed metro and handing it over to children on a boat in the Seine River.

During the ceremony, a flotilla carrying about 7,000 athletes sails down the river near some of Paris' most famous landmarks. As the ceremony begins, a huge plume of blue, white and red smoke rises above the bridge over the river.

Rain fell intermittently in Paris early in the morning, with meteorologists describing it as so heavy that one person called it a "disaster" for the outdoor ceremony.

Details remain under wraps, including which performers will perform and who will be the last to light the cauldron to mark the start of the Games. But in a hint of what’s to come, a Reuters reporter spotted pop star Lady Gaga singing a French classic in central Paris. There are also rumours that Canadian pop star Celine Dion could be in attendance.

This is the first time that the opening ceremony of the Olympics will be held outside a stadium.

Dozens of world leaders are attending the opening ceremony, which is supposed to be protected by snipers on rooftops and Paris' airspace is closed.

Don't miss the live broadcast of the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympics