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Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in pictures

The athletes’ parade down the Rivers Seine featured 85 boats.

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Heavy rain falls at the Trocadero during the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Paris

The Paris 2024 Olympics began with a groundbreaking – and rain-soaked – opening ceremony, the first to be staged outside a stadium.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at a selection of standout images from the floating parade down the River Seine and the finale at the Trocadero.

Great Britain flag bearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover and Team GB team-mates during the parade of a flotila of boats down the River Seine during Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Great Britain flag bearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover and Team GB team-mates during the parade of a flotila of boats down the River Seine during Paris Olympics opening ceremony (John Walton)
Smoke in the colours of the flag of France rises above the Pont d'Austerlitz at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony
Smoke in the colours of the flag of France rises above the Pont d’Austerlitz (John Walton/PA)
France president Emmanuel Macron, left, and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony
France president Emmanuel Macron, left, and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach were in attendance (Mike Egerton/PA)
Spectators including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer take shelter from the rain
Spectators including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had to take shelter from the rain (Mike Egerton/PA)
A boat carrying the French team travels down the Seine
The hosts France cruise down the Seine amid the rain (John Walton/PA)
The French team head under a bridge filled with performers
They head under a bridge filled with performers (David Davies/PA)
Lady Gaga performs in Paris
Lady Gaga was among the stars on show (John Walton/PA)
Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin wave the Irish flag
Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin were Ireland’s flagbearers (Pauline Ballet/PA)
Coco Gauff and LeBron James wave the flag of the United States
Coco Gauff and LeBron James did the honours for the United States (John Walton/PA)
The Mongolia team travel down the Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games
The Mongolia team pulled out all the stops with their resplendent outfits (John Walton/PA)
The Eiffel Tower is lit up with the Olympic rings
The Eiffel Tower was lit up with the Olympic rings… (Joel Marklund/PA)
Heavy rain falls at the Trocadero
… as heavy rain fell at the Trocadero (Joel Marklund/PA)
Athletes from the Great Britain team shelter from the rain at the Trocadero
The Great Britain team braved the elements at the Trocadero (Joel Marklund/PA)
Musicians from the French National Orchestra shelter from the rain
The musicians from the French National Orchestra also took refuge (Mike Egerton/PA)
The France team travel by boat down the Seine past the Eiffel Tower
The ‘City of Lights’ still offered a spectacular backdrop (David Davies/PA)
A horsewoman, wearing the flag of the IOC rides a metal horse down the Seine
A horsewoman wearing the flag of the IOC rides a metal horse down the Seine (Pauline Ballet/PA)
A horsewoman, wearing the flag of the International Olympic Committee, on a metal horse at the Trocadero
The rider at the Trocadero (Joel Marklund/PA)
A horsewoman carries the flag of the IOC
She dismounts and carries the flag of the IOC (Christophe Petit Tesson/PA)
Zinedine Zidane, left, hands the Olympic Torch to Rafael Nadal
Zinedine Zidane, left, hands the Olympic torch to Rafael Nadal (Mike Egerton/PA)
A spectacular display lights up the Eiffel Tower
A spectacular display lit up the Eiffel Tower (Joel Marklund/PA)
The Olympic flame is lit by Marie-Jose Perec, left, and Teddy Riner at the opening ceremony for the Paris Games
And the Olympic flame is lit by Marie-Jose Perec, left, and Teddy Riner (Jan Woitas/PA)
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