The 2024 Olympics kick off in the City of Lights this week, and the Opening Ceremony looks to be fittingly star-studded. The July 26 Opening Ceremony in Paris will be the first not to take place in a stadium, with country teams instead parading on boats along the River Seine. (We hear it’s clean now — we’d still be wary of any splashes.) Also on the river will be a cast of 3,500 performers, including actors, dancers, and musicians, under the direction of Thomas Jolly. And in the lead-up to the ceremony, some A-list names have been reported to be involved, including Lady Gaga and a resurgent Céline Dion following her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis. Below, the French stars you can expect and how to watch.
What is Lady Gaga doing in Paris?
Fans (and, of course, paparazzi) spotted Lady Gaga leaving a hotel and driving around Paris on July 22. Sure, she could just be on a well-timed vacation — but with her film Joker: Folie à Deux playing Venice later this summer and a rumored new album coming soon, this isn’t really the time for play. So it sure would seem like Mother Monster is part of the Opening Ceremony. Some have even speculated that Gaga could sing “La Vie en Rose†in tribute to Edith Piaf, which she was performing during her Las Vegas residency after first singing it in A Star Is Born. (Ally, though, has not been spotted in Paris yet.)
Could Céline Dion make a comeback at the Olympics?
Gaga may not be the only diva on the water for the Opening Ceremony. Céline Dion also arrived in Paris on July 22, Variety reported, and is rumored to perform. Dion’s performance would be much bigger than the Olympics — it would be her first time singing since she revealed her stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, which threatened to end her performing career. Dion insisted she would sing again in her new documentary I Am: Celine Dion and even told Vogue France earlier this year that she wanted “to see the Eiffel Tower again,†possibly hinting at an Olympics comeback. And Hoda Kotb, who interviewed Dion earlier this year, said the performer and her manager implied that a comeback was on the books. An Olympics performance would be a bit of a full-circle moment for Dion, who previously sang during the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
Who are the French stars are involved?
Confirmed to be joining Dion and Gaga at the opening ceremony is Aya Nakamura, the French Malian singer. When she was first rumored to be performing in March, the French alt-right staged protests calling her “not French enough,†despite the fact that she is the most-listened-to French artist in the world.
Nakamura joins a larger group of French musicians playing the ceremony, per Time Out. These include pianist Sofiane Pamart and singer Juliette Armanet, who will be duetting; a “B2B set†with singer Philippe Katerine and drummer Cerrone; a collaboration between metal band Gojira and opera singer Marina Viotti; and an appearance from French rapper Rim’K, of 113.
Anybody else?
Other diva spottings in recent days include Ariana Grande, who was seen on July 23. Apart from performers, Snoop Dogg is set to be the final torchbearer on July 26, joined by French rapper MC Solaar and retired Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka. They cap off a team of 11,000 torchbearers, which also include Salma Hayek, BTS’s Jin, French soccer star Thierry Henry, Belgian singer Mentissa, and everyday French residents. During the opening parade, basketball star LeBron James will be the male flag bearer for the U.S. team, with the female flag bearer yet to be announced. Sadly, Tonga’s oiled-up flag bearer Pita Taufatofua did not qualify for the Games this year.
How do I watch?
In the U.S., as always, the Opening Ceremony (and the rest of the Games) will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock. The ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. ET, but NBC’s coverage will begin at noon. And if you’re stuck at work during the show, don’t worry — there’s an encore scheduled for 7:30 that night.