The Olympics

2024 Paralympics opening ceremony kicks off 11 more days of sport in the City of Light

Author: Editors Desk Source: France 24

August 28, 2024 at 16:20

The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Paralympics kicks off on Wednesday night on the famed Champs-Elysées avenue and the adjoining Place de la Concorde. From Thursday, eleven more days of sporting action in City of Light will take place in 18 of the 35 Olympic venues.

The Paris Paralympics begin on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony in the centre of the French capital, firing the starting gun on 11 days of intense competition.

Just as for the opening ceremony of the Olympics on the River Seine in July, the ceremony will take place away from the main stadium for the first time at a Paralympics.

It is in Place de la Concorde, the historic square where skateboarding and other 'urban' sports took place during the Olympics, that the Games will open.

Dancers perform during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony at the Place de la Concorde with the Obelisque de Louxor (Luxor Obelisk) in Paris on August 28, 2024. © Bertrand Guay, AFP

When the sporting action begins on Thursday, a new generation of Paralympians will join seasoned veterans competing in many of the same venues that hosted Olympic sports.

A total of 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will be used for the Paralympics, which run until September 8, including the Grand Palais which scored rave reviews for its hosting of the fencing and taekwondo under an ornate roof.