Last night, all eyes were on Paris, where athletes from around the globe came together to witness the opening ceremony of the 2024 edition of the Olympic Games. Revolutionizing Olympic Summer Games history, the Paris opening ceremony was the first-ever of its kind to take place outside a stadium. Instead, the ceremony carried through the Seine, giving the entire city a chance to be part of the celebratory moment.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vogue Man Arabia (@voguemanarabia) Along with the torch’s long journey, the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony also stood out for a series of exhilarating moments. As celebrities, athletes, and royals looked on, the torch changed hands several times, even bringing legendary sportsmen Zinedine Zidane and Rafael Nadal together. Another special moment was the first appearance of the Olympic flag, which was presented by a horsewoman racing on the Seine river, dressed in silver armor — designed by none other than French designer Jeanne Friot.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vogue Arabia (@voguearabia) Of course, one — or should we saw two — of the biggest highlights of the evening were the musical performances by Lady Gaga and Céline Dion. While Gaga opened the ceremony with a rendition of “Mon truc en plume” by Zizi Jeanmaire, Dion brought things to an end with a tear-jerking performance of Edith Piaf’s “l’Hymne à l’amour” on the Eiffel Tower. This was the iconic singer’s first time on stage in four years.
According to reports, Dion had to “train like an athlete” to be able to take on the Olympics stage, given that she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in December 2022. Both stars were dressed in Dior couture. See the sketches behind their looks here .
View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) As for the faces from the Middle East, the region was wonderfully represented by athletes across the region. Some of the noteworthy names seen proudly waving their nation’s flags were Saudi Vogue Arabia cover stars Dunya Aboutaleb (takewondo champion) and Husein Alireza (Olympic rower), Palestinian swimmer Valerie Tarazi, and Egyptian weight lifter Sara Samir, to name a few. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vogue Arabia (@voguearabia) Below, all the pictures you need to see from the evening that was.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) by Nitya Chablani.
