Paris 2024: Exuberant music and dance celebrations engage fans and athletes alike

Did anyone think it would get any better than Celine Dion singing "L’Hymne à l’amour" halfway up the Eiffel Tower at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony? Not only that, but having returned to performing after a two-year hiatus after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome?

I mean, come on...

Well, four days into the XXXIII Olympiad and music and dance have continued to play their part for athletes and fans alike, from spine-tingling celebrations of togetherness, to choreographed gold-medal-winning dances, to mind-balming silent discos.

Let’s start with that peculiar-sounding last one, shall we?

British gymnasts Becky Downie and Georgia-Mae Fenton both opted to wear headphones on the competition floor in an effort to stay calm and focused ahead of each routine in women’s artistic gymnastics qualification on Sunday, 28 July.

The pair were in their own little worlds, nodding their heads and shimmying lightly to their own tunes before catching each other’s eye and smiling in a moment of levity.

The relaxation technique worked with the pair doing their job in helping the team qualify for the final on Tuesday, 30 July, with Downie also making the top eight in the uneven bars final on 4 August.

On achieving the qualification, an impromptu dance also broke out amongst the team.

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Edith Piaf’s vocals ring out at iconic Stade de France

Rather more audible musical interludes have been seen across a number of Olympic venues, with rugby sevens arguably proving the most spine-tingling so far.

Fans at the Stade de France broke into song after their men’s side secured Team France’s first gold of their home Olympic Games. To the haunting echoes of Edith Piaf's ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’ the crowd joined in to the soundtrack pumped into the stadium, with the striking purple surrounds of the pitch reminiscent of the lavender fields of Provence.

As the song built to the chorus, the announcer cut the audio and the crowd’s rendition echoed around the iconic venue. Thankfully, the audio picked up again, as few know the lyrics beyond the chorus.

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Antoine Dupont leads France rugby sevens celebrations

An additional, unexpected celebration saw the Olympic champions, led by talisman Antoine Dupont, who had forgone his regular rugby union season to compete at his home Olympic Games in Paris, take to the field for a rehearsed dance sequence.

How they had the energy after beating Fiji, who had never lost an Olympic rugby sevens match and were two-time Olympic champions, is anyone’s guess.

The routine then made its way from the stadium to Club France, the hub for celebrating the home nation’s medal-winning athletes, before culminating in an epic boogie under the skirts of the Iron Lady at the Champions Park.

A catwalk-style stage welcomes the medal winners of the day with 13,000 fans able to watch the celebrations for free alongside artistic performances, all at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.

The joy of singing and dancing in celebration for both fans and athletes will go on for days to go yet. We’re only on day four.

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