Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony suffers major gaffe as Olympic flag raised upside down

The Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was one of the most ambitious ones in the quadrennial competition’s history, but a major blunder happened at the end of the rain-soaked ceremony when the iconic Olympic flag was hoisted upside down.

After the Olympic flag – featuring five rings on top of a white background – was raised at the Trocadero region of Paris, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the Olympic rings were positioned incorrectly, which meant that the flag was hoisted upside down by the organisers.

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Boats, hooded figures, and Celine Dion: how did the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony end?

The grand Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in the French capital saw around 7000 athletes from all the participating nations sail down the Seine River aboard 85 boats. The ambitious parade – the first in Olympic history to take place outside the stadium – took around three-and-a-half hours to conclude.

After reaching the Trocadero, a hooded figure – French law enforcement officer Floriane Issert – galloped down the Seine River and delivered the Olympic flag to be hosted by the Paris 2024 Olympics officials.

Despite heavy rainfall pouring down in the French capital, the attendees were in a joyful mood as a 60-member strong chorus from the Radio France Choir, as well as 90 French National Orchestra musicians delivered a rendition of the Olympic anthem at the Trocadero stage.

After the ceremonial hoisting of the Olympic flag – albeit upside down in an embarrassing blunder in an otherwise smooth ceremony – the Olympic cauldron was lit by French Olympic gold medalists Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec.

The end of the ambitious Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony featured a performance by Celine Dion, where the legendary singer delivered a rendition of Edith Piaf’s French ballad “Hymne A L’Amour." Celine Dion’s live performance – her first since health issues forced her to put her career on a hiatus – was the second time a global star performed in the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony.

Pop sensation Lady Gaga too made an appearance along the stairs of the River Seine as the Olympic athletes sailed down, and performed singer Zizi Jeanmaire’s French-language song “Mon Truc en Plume."