Paralympics 2024 opening ceremony LIVE: Paris prepares for start of Games with athletes parade
The ceremony features athletes participating at the Games and is taking place in the heart of the French captial
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Your support makes all the difference.Paris is back in the spotlight this evening as the city hosts the opening ceremony of the Paralympics Games. Fresh off the heels of a blockbuster fortnight of Olympic action, the Paralympic athletes now take centre stage as they compete for medals, records and glory in front of huge crowds watching on around the globe.
The French captial is expected to be packed once again with up to 65,000 spectators expected to attend the first act of the Games which sees 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations parade down the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees in the heart of Paris ahead of what is sure to be 11 days of intense competition.
The opening ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly has revealed the spectacle will “showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody”. He has promised “performances that have never been seen before” and claims that the show will “unite spectators and television audiences worldwide around the unique spirit of the Paralympic Games”.
Follow all the latest updates from the Paralympics opening ceremony with our live blog below:
Paralympics opening ceremony
The Paralympics will officially get underway with a spectacular opening ceremony kicking off Paris 2024.
Like the Olympics earlier in the summer, the curtain-raising event will take place in the heart of the city, with Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees hosting 4,400 Paralympic athletes from 184 delegations ahead of 11 days of competition.
Once more led by Thomas Jolly, organisers have again eschewed the traditional stadium setting for a ceremony that will “showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody”.
The Parade of Nations will start at the Arc de Triomphe, which has been adorned with the Paralympic Agitos logo throughout the summer.
Good afternoon!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Paralympics opening ceremony.
With the Olympics now over and done with the spotlight is on the Paralympic athletes as they kick off 11 days of intense sporting action. Paris is playing host once more with 50,000 spectators expected to line up along the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees to catch at glimpse of the athletes later on.
The ceremony begins at 7pm BST and has been described as a ‘spectacle that showcases the spirit of the Paralympic Games’. We’ll have all the latest updates from the ceremony as the evening goes on including the details on how to tune in live.
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