Paris will launch its Summer Games opening ceremony on Friday night along the Seine, marking the first time the event is held outside a stadium.
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00:00Three years after the official announcement, the big day is finally approaching.
00:06The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will be held on Friday, starting at 7.30pm.
00:12For the first time in history, the ceremony will not take place in a stadium, but instead
00:17along the Seine River, in front of more than 300,000 spectators.
00:23More than 10,000 athletes from 206 delegations will parade aboard nearly 100 boats for a
00:30spectacle lasting almost four hours.
00:34A meticulous organization that required more than three years of preparation.
00:39Whatever the weather or the flow of the river might be on Friday night, organizers insist
00:44that they are ready for any kind of scenario.
00:48The parade and the ceremony will go very, very well, there is no subject on it.
00:52If the flow rose a little bit, no problem there either, we will just adapt the speed.
00:57For example, we would go from 9 km per hour to 10 km per hour, but no problem on that.
01:01An impressive feat led by the actor and director Thomas Joly.
01:05He worked hand in hand with multiple playwrights, choreographers and historians to imagine an
01:11extravagant performance showcasing France's history, art and culture, with 12 massive
01:17paintings that will be displayed.
01:41As per tradition, Greece will lead the way and France's delegation will be the last boat.
01:56The contents of the show has been kept tightly under wraps, but a few big names have been
02:01mentioned, such as possible performances from singers like Céline Dion, Lady Gaga and French
02:08Malian sensation Ayana Kamara.
02:10Sofia Katzenkova reporting from Paris for Euronews.