The Summer Olympics are officially underway in Paris under tight security and gloomy skies as athletes and spectators from around the world crowded the banks of the River Seine to usher in the two-week spectacle.
The opening ceremony on Friday made history as the first held outside of a stadium.
French Canadian pop singer Celine Dion, who has been struggling with her health in recent years, prompted cheers from the audience while making her long-awaited comeback in Paris. Praise appeared online a short time later.
"CÉLINE DION ... BRAVE IS UNBEATABLE," CBC reporter Devin Heroux wrote while sharing a clip of Dion's performance on X, formerly Twitter. "THE RALLYING CRY FOR TEAM CANADA ... AND SHE'S LIVING IT"
"WOW Céline Dion just performed for the first time in four years on the Eiffel Tower for the #Olympics #OpeningCeremony and absolutely crushed it," wrote @WUTangKids. "I'm totally not crying, you're crying that was awesome"
Dion was diagnosed with "Stiff-Person Syndrome" in 2022, a rare autoimmune disorder that makes activities like singing difficult by causing muscle stiffness and painful spasms.
Lady Gaga, who was rumored to show up, also made an appearance—donning a dress full of black and pink peacock feathers.
She descended from a gold staircase and belted — entirely in French — the song "Mon Truc en Plue (My Thing With Feathers.)"
French singer and actor Philippe Katerine sang "Naked," while French metal band Gojira performed as well.
Sparks flew as French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura made her entrance.
Former French soccer star Zinedine Zidane kicked off the ceremony with the Olympic torch passing. Snoop Dogg, who is working as NBC's special correspondent in Paris, carried the torch on its final leg.
Artists from the Moulin Rouge performed the can-can in pink costumes.
Thousands of athletes crowded onto double-decker boats that paraded down the Seine, passing iconic Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The cathedral's bell rang out for the first time since a devastating fire ripped through its roof and spire in 2019.
Team USA basketball players and NBA superstars Joel Embiid and Steph Curry were seen wearing Olympic-themed shades.
"The rain can't stop us," four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said.
James, who was selected in a vote as one of Team USA's captains in Paris, was among a large contingent of American athletes crowded into a tourism boat along the Seine. Despite the soggy weather, their smiles were easy to spot.
Noah Lyles, a sprinter, showed off his manicure that spelled out the word "icon" during an interview.
Tom Daley and Helen Glover, the flag bearers for Britain, put their own twist to the ceremony as they were seen reimagining the classic "I'm flying" scene from Titanic. Daley, a diver, held his arms out near the railing while Glover, a rower, put her arms around his waist.
Fans chanted "Allez les Bleus, Allez les Bleus," as the French delegation entered into the parade.
"The rain made it more funny to be honest," said Austrian marathon swimmer Jan Hercog, who'll compete in the Seine — if it's deemed clean enough.
A portion of the ceremony celebrated women, with 10 gold-colored statues of famous French female figures, from Olympe de Gouges, who drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizen during the French Revolution, to philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, explorer Jeanne Barret, activist Louise Michel and politician Simone Veil.
The statues rose on pedestals as the national anthem, "La Marseillaise," was performed.
This year's Olympics are aiming to be the first in history with equal numbers of male and female athletes.
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Update 07/26/24 6:45 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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