Six kilometres, 85 boats: The first Parade of Nations on a river

Emerging from behind a row of pink feathered fans and dressed fit for a cabaret, Lady Gaga set the tone for the evening to come.

“Bonsoir! Bienvenue à Paris,” the singer-songwriter shouted after her performance of the iconic French revue song, “Mon truc en plume”, to start off an unfrorgettable celebration. And the athletes were ready to heed the call.

Starting at Pont d’Austerlitz, the Parade of Nations flotilla began its six-kilometres journey west along the Seine, dipping under bridges and passing world-renown landmarks, such as the Esplanade des Invalides, the Place de la Concorde, the Notre-Dame and the Grand Palais, before arriving at the Trocadero opposite the Eiffel Tower.

Mixed in among these landmarks were the venues that will host the athletes for competition over the next 16 days and, for some, become the stage of their biggest triumphs.

But for the moment, competition was not forefront of their minds. Unity was the mood of the night as athletes from different countries celebrated on shared boats – Canada and the People’s Republic of China blending into a sea of red on the same deck, athletes from Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique and Myanmar bridging the distance of three continents to come together on one boat.

Even surfers joined in the festivities via video link from Tahiti, dressed in ceremony wear and holding traditional wooden surfboards.

“Dear athletes, we can’t wait to live it all with you. The joy, the tears, and the love you will put in each moment. Thank you for being here. You made it! Bravo!I know what it means. I know what it took. I know the path you have followed to be here. Paris will give back to you. It’s the City of Love… and for the next 16 days, it is your city,” said Tony Estanguet, triple Olympic champion and President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee. “Welcome home. Welcome to Paris. Welcome to your moment in history. Live it. Love it and carry us with you! The world is on your side.”