History to be made as Olympics opens with parade of boats (and athletes)

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, tonight’s opening ceremony will not take place in a stadium. Paris 2024 is holding its ceremony in the heart of the city, along its main artery, the Seine. Recently Paris’ mayor swam in its water to prove its clean enough for the triathlon to take place, and tonight (26 July) approximately 94 boats will wend their way along the 6km route, transporting athletes and officials.

During the parade of athletes – with boats for each national delegation – cameras will be onboard to allow viewers to see the athletes up close. Each nation’s sporting flag-bearer will stand at the prow of a boat.

Moving from east to west, the circa 10,000 athletes on parade will end in front of the Trocadéro, where the remaining elements of Olympic protocol and final shows will take place.

What is on offer during the show has been kept secret, but viewers can expect to see tightrope walkers, acrobats and dancers performing over and above the water. Expect to see artificial islands using pontoons, floating pianos, helicopters and maybe even submersibles. Floating skateparks, giant paintings and gold tinsel have been spotted.

The spectacle will utilise 45,000 police and several army units and, according to The Guardian, and has taken two years to secretly rehearse. 300,000 people will be watching from the bridges and riverbanks as police, frogmen and snipers stand guard.

Installation operations have taken place progressively in order to set up the grandstands and structures required for the opening ceremony. These have been built since June and have included closing the upper and lower quays to the public since around 18 July.

98 per cent of boats in Olympic opening are Parisian

While 98 per cent of the boats that will take part in the ceremony come from the Paris ecosystem, Paris 2024 has utilised regional support such as from Batorama which is the leading French tour boat company outside Paris.

“Beyond a nautical and athletic story, this is a story of shared passion. What an honour for Batorama to join the fleet of the first Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games outside of a stadium. It is for us the promise of an unforgettable moment in such a symbolic setting that brings us all together: the river,” says Isabelle Burget – general manager of Batorama.

Olivier Jamey, president of the Paris Port Community says: “The Olympic Games’ Opening Ceremony offers the opportunity for river companies to join together as an impressive team to bring the first and most original Olympic medal to France.”

“The Opening Ceremony is an opportunity for the riverine industry to put its values of commitment, excellence and environmental sobriety at the disposal of Olympism.”

Didier Léandri, president of Entreprises Fluviales de France

FinX designs and builds bespoke boat for Olympic opening

One of the boats taking part in the parade is FinX’s Imagine.

“When we learned that the opening ceremony of the games would take place on the Seine in Paris, we understood that this was a historic opportunity for FinX,” says Harold Guillemin, founding president. He knew he couldn’t let the opportunity pass as a French engine manufacturer and, moreover, a Parisian.

FinX is a French deeptech start-up which designs engines for finned, bio-inspired, electric, propellerless boats.

“The Olympic and Paralympic Games were a real booster for FinX,” continues Guillemin as he explains that, a year and a half ago, the start-up sought both to build an innovative boat and to develop the Fin E, a 150HP (100kW) electric fin thruster to motorise it.

It took 10 months to hatch Imagine, and a few months more for Fin E. The feat of the rapid construction of Imagine was made possible thanks to a tripartite relationship between FinX for the development part, ARMEN Initiative for the design part, and the Cap Ferret Naval Shipyard for construction.

“It was in the spring of 2024 that we learned with immense joy that Imagine was selected to participate in the opening ceremony. Imagine ticks all the boxes.”

Imagine is made of French biosourced resin and can accommodate 12 passengers (+ two crew members), as well as people with reduced mobility. Guillemin says there’s been a rigorous choice of materials (cork like organic and natural material, biosourced resin, used moss and linen).

Torqeedo has retrofitted at least four of the 90 boats transporting athletes, including Mistinguett – the longest and heaviest electric boat to ever cruise on the Seine.

Documentary series into the Seine’s parade of boats for Olympic opening in Paris

A documentary series is now online which follows the team behind the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and highlights the challenges of staging the athletes’ parade on a hundred boats along the river Seine . . . all while creating a massive, live TV show.

This exclusive behind-the-scenes look provides a fascinating viewpoint, showcasing the magnitude and complexity of the preparations required for such an extraordinary event.

Here’s where to watch it: Brazil (Globo); Canada (CBC and Radio-Canada); China (CMG); Europe except France – 49 territories (Warner Bros. Discovery); France (France Televisions); Japan (NHK); United States of America (NBCUniversal’s Peacock); and for all other regions, the documentary will be available on Olympics.com.

The Olympic flame in motion for Paris 2024

The Olympic Flame crossed the Atlantic aboard the Maxi Banque Populaire XI.