Paris 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony: parade route, times and where to see it on TV

Paris, 28 August 2024 – Paris dresses up again to welcome the Paralympics 2024. This evening, Wednesday 28 August, the eyes of the whole world will once again be focused on the French capital on the occasion of the inauguration ceremony. A “incredible party”, assures the president of the Paralympic committee Andrew Parsons.

Everything is ready for the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympics

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The parade of athletes

As with the Olympics, the event it will not be held in a stadium: the athletes will parade on the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde. It starts at 20pm: a maxi parade featuring protagonists 4.400 male and female athletes of 185 delegations to celebrate the start of 11 days of competitions, starting Thursday 29 August. Under the guidance of artistic director Thomas Jolly, the show “will showcase Paralympic athletes and the values ​​they represent". Describing the event as "a magnificent source of inspiration", Jolly promises "performances never seen before in a show that will unite spectators and television audiences from all over the world around the unique spirit of the Paralympic Games". It will be an inclusive and spectacular ceremony, from the relighting the brazier, located in the heart of the Tuileries Gardens.

150 dancers in action

To give shape and color to the clothes of the event (titled 'Paradox', choreography by the Swede Alexander Ekman, music by Victor Le Masne) the artistic director Thomas Jolly recruited him French designer Louis-Gabriel Nouchi, who indulged himself by creating approx 700 costumes. It promises to be a ceremony, as he himself defines it, "quite radical and monochromatic". The most challenging part was "creating clothes for people with disabilities who, beyond that, are artists". Of the 150 dancers engaged, there are about twenty handicapped and everyone expressed different needs. “Special needs have arisen - confirms Corinne Pagé, head costume designer of the ceremony - But there are singers or dancers or actors who don't like, for example, showing legs or shoulders: very similar situations, I would say”.

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Over 65 thousand spectators

To satisfy all audiences, including the less fortunate, the show will be free and without reservation for 15.000 spectators. They will be able to see up close the Paralympic delegations parade from the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde, where the paid stands, always accessible starting from 150 euros per seat. In total they will be approximately 65 thousand spectators.

The Italian delegation

La blue Team presents itself with record numbers: 141 members (70 women and 71 men) for 17 specialties. Flag bearer Ambra Sabatini (athletics) and Luca Mazzone (cycling). Italy has always been present at the Paralympic Games since the first edition, in Rome in 1960. They are 599 medals won (167 gold, 202 silver and 230 bronze). We start again from the historic result of Tokyo 2021: 69 medals (14 gold, 29 silver, 26 bronze), second only to that of the Roman Games of 64 years ago, not comparable to the modern ones in terms of participation (400 athletes from 23 countries).

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Mattarella is also there

Also present in Paris Sergio Mattarella. The President of the Republic will attend the opening ceremony of the Games, then on the morning of Thursday 29 August will meet the Italian athletes at the Paralympic Village. During the day he will also attend some races. “We are enormously honored by the presence of President Mattarella – the words of the number 1 of the Paralympic Committee, Luca Pancalli –. Once again Mattarella demonstrates great closeness to our movement. His presence will give even more strength and enthusiasm to the entire Azzurro Team”.

Where to see the ceremony on TV

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympics is broadcast live at 20pm free-to-air on Rai 2. It will also be visible in free streaming through the platform Ray Play.