On Wednesday 28 August, Paris will host its first-ever Paralympic Games, and will start with a spectacular Opening Service in the core of France’s capital.
At 20:00 nearby time, Spot de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées will play host to 4,400 Paralympic athletes from 184 delegations as they commend the initiation of 11 days of contest, starting 29 August.
Lead by Thomas Happy, the spectacle will showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they typify, said the Artistic Chief for the Ceremonies across the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris 2024.
Describing the idea as “first and foremost a heavenly source of inspiration” Chipper promises “performances that have never been seen” in a “spectacle that will join spectators and television audiences worldwide around the remarkable spirit of the Paralympic Games.
The service will again occur outside the confines of a stadium, with athletes marching down the famous road, coming full circle in a festival and official opening of the Paralympic Games at the notorious square before thousands of spectators
What a mind blowing second for our athletes, who will be important for a historic Opening Service, on the world’s most famous road, surrounded by all the appeal of Paris, enthused Jitske Visser, Paralympic wheelchair basketball medallist, IPC Athletes’ Commission President and competitior at Paris 2024.
This function at the core of the city is a strong symbol illustrating our desire to profit by our nation hosting its first-ever Paralympic Games to position the issue of inclusion for individuals with disabilities at the core of our society, said Tony Estanguet, Paris 2024 President.
