There were mixed reviews for the Paris 2024 opening ceremony in Britain, but hosts always experience a boost at their own Olympics. This meant mostly positive reactions here in France.
Neutral observers from overseas focused on the reliance on non-French stars, the punishing rain and the odd sight of singer Philippe Katerine’s turn as Dionysus in blue body paint. But Saturday’s front pages in France preferred to dwell on the spectacle.
“En Trombes” (with a bang) was splashed on Libération, above a picture of the Tricolore fireworks which lit up Austerlitz Bridge. Le Parisien highlighted the Eiffel Tower and the word “Époustouflant” (breathtaking), while Le Figaro used a different image of the tower saluting “le ferveur et l’émotion” (fervour and emotion).
Le Monde’s review was positive, saying artistic director Thomas Jolly “succeeded in his challenge of presenting an immersive show in a capital transformed into a gigantic stage”.
“Under the flood, the capital and its river were the scene on Friday of a dreamlike spectacle taking on the story of a mixed, inclusive French history without fear of controversy…
“It was a parade like travelling theatre troupes’ centuries ago, when they crossed the city with sets and costumes, to get a crowd excited before the performance.
“All that remained to be seen was whether they would manage to take the 300,000 spectators somewhere, as well as the hundreds of millions of television viewers expected to follow the ceremony all over the planet. This bet seems to have been won, hands down.”
