PORTLAND, Ore. — More than 10,000 athletes are set to sail down the River Seine on Friday during the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, in what is anticipated to be one of, if not the most ambitious ceremonies ever attempted.
If you aren't satisfied watching the spectacle from your own living room, the Regal Cinemas and IMAX theater in Bridgeport Village is giving fans the option to "watch the world's biggest sporting event on the world's biggest screens."
To add to the fun, Fifty Licks Ice Cream is opening its summer pop-up truck outside the Bridgeport theater to serve up a sweet treat for anyone watching the ceremony. They'll be offering their regular dairy and non-dairy ice cream in bowls or a sugar cone or gluten-free waffle cone. The truck will open up at 10 a.m. ahead of the Opening Ceremony's 10:30 a.m. PST start time.
What to expect from the Opening Ceremony
It's an exciting year to watch the Opening Ceremony, with Paris going all out to mark the 100-year anniversary since the last time the Olympic Games were held in the city.
It also marks the first time in the Games' modern history the Opening Ceremony will not be held at a stadium. Instead roughly 94 boats — one for each national delegation — will parade along the River Seine as the ceremony's opening act.
The boat carrying Team USA will be led by tennis star Coco Gauff, who was recently named the women's flag bearer, alongside three-time Olympian Lebron James, who is the men's flag bearer.
Each national delegation will travel just under 4 miles down the river, starting at the Austerlitz Bridge and landing at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower.
Meanwhile, hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg will make his way through the St. Dennis neighborhood of Paris, carrying the Olympic flame on its final leg before it lights the Olympic cauldron.
His role in the Games wont stop there though, as Snoop will also serve as a prime-time NBC correspondent, exploring the city's landmarks as well as attending various events and competitions.
Singer Kelly Clarkson and former NFL star Peyton Manning will join sportscaster Mike Tirico in Paris as hosts of NBC's Opening Ceremony coverage.
How to watch on TV
NBC and Peacock will have live coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26, beginning at 9 a.m. Pacific.
Telemundo will also provide Spanish-language coverage beginning at 10 a.m. PT.
Primetime coverage of the Opening Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock.