Paris 2024 Paralympics | Opening Ceremony: "Keep the party going"

The Paris 2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony took place this Wednesday at the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris. The creators of the show held a press conference with the International Paralympic Committee to debrief this special event.

In France, 75,000 people watched at the Place de la Concorde the Para athletes during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. "French people are really looking forward to seing the Paralympics because they want to keep the party going," Thierry Reboul, Paris 2024 ceremonies director, said. "We wanted to keep this strong introduction to create another spark." Yesterday, approximately 100,000 tickets have been sold, raising the number of spectators to 2.1 million.

Created with the Para athletes

"When Alexander Ekman arrived in the project, he immediately made a lot of research along with the Para athletes," remembers Craig Spence, International Paralympics Committee Chief Brand and Communications Officer*. "He wanted to integrate them as much as possible in the ceremony."*

"The goal was to stop with the heroizing stereotype," Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Paris 2024 ceremonies, explains.

"I was very happy to be able to show my work to so many people," Alexander Ekman says after. "It was just beautiful to see everybody working for the same cause."

John McFall's story, an inspiration for lots of people

John McFall, the one who brought the Paralympic flag to the Place de la Concorde during the Opening Ceremony, came to share an incredible story. The Britishman earned a bronze medal in the Beijing 100m in 2008 and then pursued a surgeon career. Since 2022, he is training with the European Space Agency to become the first Para astronaut."From losing my leg to competing in Beijing, I learned so much about myself. I am comfortable in my own skin, and that's what the Paralympic movement is about," the Para athlete said.