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This year will also be the first time that the opening ceremony will be open to all and free of charge – or almost. Spectators will not need to show a ticket to watch the parade from the upper platforms along the Seine. However, those who want to stand on the lower quays, from the Austerlitz bridge to the Iéna bridge, will need a ticket. Everyone else should be able to follow the parade thanks to 80 strategically placed giant screens and speakers.
The parade route
The boat parade will begin at 7.30pm local time from the Pont d’Austerlitz, next to the Jardin des Plantes, and will sail around the two islands in the city centre, the Île Saint-Louis and the Île de la Cité. The route will then continue under the eight bridges and ten arches that line the Seine. From the boats, the flag bearers and athletes taking part in the two-week event will be able to admire some of the official sites of the Games, such as La Concorde, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Grand Palais and finally the Pont d’Iena, where the parade will stop in front of the Trocadero for the final part of the ceremony.
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The opening ceremony in figures
An estimated 1.5 billion viewers will follow the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, either from the parade route along the Seine or on television or streaming. Some 94 boats will take part in the procession, each carrying the participating delegations and the artists involved. In total, the boats will carry some 10,500 athletes from the 206 National Olympic Committees. Some 120 heads of state, monarchs and government leaders are also expected to attend the ceremony.