2024 Paris Olympics: Organisers weigh opening ceremony scenarios

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00:00 It will be the night where one billion people will gather on the banks of the River Seine

00:05 for the opening ceremony of Paris 2024.

00:09 It's set to be a historic ceremony, the first outside a stadium.

00:13 But its programme is still top secret.

00:17 Some elements have been revealed, like the 116 boats, normally used by tourists, that

00:22 will transport the athletes from east to west.

00:25 Captain Gregory has made this journey with his boat hundreds of times and on July 24th

00:31 next year he'll have the sportsmen and women on board and he's already got an idea in mind.

00:35 "It'd be great to have a French team, but the boat might be a bit small for them."

00:41 He's waiting now for Tony Estanguil, president of the Paris 2024 organisation committee.

00:47 "What is our speed?"

00:50 "15 kilometres an hour."

00:52 "I don't want it to go too fast."

01:00 All of the boat captains will undergo special training for the day to master the speed and

01:05 distance.

01:06 "It's true that it's a challenge because of the intensity and all of the attention that

01:14 we hope will create a grandiose atmosphere.

01:17 I was an athlete and participated in opening ceremonies and it's always a powerful moment

01:22 here.

01:24 We are for the first time in an exceptional setting and we want it to last."

01:30 The festivities are set to extend for six kilometres along the Seine.

01:35 The boat convoy of athletes will go past the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre and Trocadéro

01:41 in front of the Eiffel Tower, which is where the ceremony's finale will take place.

01:47 There will be 206 delegations and 116 boats, which will be specially decorated for the

01:52 occasion.

01:54 Greece will open the procession and host country France will close it.

01:59 But according to this ship owner, there are risks of a traffic jam upon arrival.

02:03 "We can't drop off all the athletes at the same place.

02:09 They will be in an area around one to two kilometres long for the boats to wait before

02:13 they can drop them off, each one in turn."

02:18 The area on the bridge, marked here in green, will be free to all.

02:22 And on the banks of the quay, marked in red, are paid-for seats.

02:26 100,000 tickets will be available, ranging from 90 to 2,700 euros.

02:33 600,000 spectators are expected, but these numbers could be lowered later on.

02:39 Security-wise, bomb disposal divers will be on hand, with around 20 boats surrounding

02:45 the procession.

02:46 The only unknown is the weather, and those who know the Seine are aware it's unpredictable.

02:51 "It's a river, it's natural.

02:55 We need not to rain in the days beforehand.

02:58 But apart from exceptional events, we're ready."

03:01 A rehearsal of the ceremony is planned for mid-July.

03:07 (upbeat music)

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