Sneak peek of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00Try as they might, having the opening ceremony on the river running through the city centre

00:08meant the final rehearsal was hard to keep under wraps.

00:12At dawn on Saturday, 100 boats wormed down the Seine, caught by some eager early birds.

00:19It's exciting. We want to watch the opening ceremony, but aren't sure what to expect.

00:25This gives us a sneak peek.

00:29The French team will be last in the procession on this boat. Greece will lead the way between

00:34the Pont d'Austerlitz and the Eiffel Tower for a spectacle lasting almost four hours.

00:40Stands have been erected on the water's edge, as well as giant screens.

00:45Decorations are coming together, hinting at some of the themes. An Art Nouveau staircase

00:50or a skate park in the style of a landscape garden.

00:54I think we're ready to dazzle the whole world.

00:58326,000 people will watch from the quay, more than one billion on the TV.

01:05Director Thomas Joly, winner of three Molière awards, swears he's not feeling the pressure.

01:10Normally, the sooner it gets to a premiere, the more anxious I feel. But I just can't

01:15wait. It might be crazy, but that's how I feel.

01:20Those captaining the boats aren't just training on the water, but on a simulator.

01:25On the water, you don't have the decor or the sound, but here, our captains experience

01:36the same conditions as Friday night.

01:41At the moment, it's forecast to be sunny. Fingers crossed no one gets wet, in the rain

01:46or in the river.

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