The Paris Olympics 2024 will be declared open, with a one-of-a-kind opening ceremony through the Seine River in the French capital. The Olympics 2024 opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 PM local time (11 PM IST) and conclude at 11:15 PM local time (3 AM IST on Saturday).
The extraordinary opening ceremony breaks away from tradition by moving outside out of the stadium. Instead, athletes will be celebrated aboard boats along the Seine River, providing a unique spectacle that spans a six-kilometre route.
This innovative approach promises to make it the most expansive and widely viewed opening ceremony in history, highlighting iconic landmarks like The Louvre and Notre Dame throughout the French capital.
The parade, boats carrying the athletes, will begin at the Austerlitz Bridge near Jardin de Plantes and will end at Trocadero, where all the other performances will follow on the night.
Over 10,000 athletes are going to be a part of the process and will be carried in 100 boats which promises to be a delightful sight for all the fans across the globe.
The 117-member Indian contingent aims to fly the Indian tri-colour high in the French capital and aim to exceed last year’s performance by a decent margin.
Who will be the Indian flag bearer in the opening ceremony?
Leading the Indian contingent, star shuttler PV Sindhu and veteran Table tennis athlete Sharath Kamal are the official flag bearers for India at the Paris Olympics and will hold the flag together while going through the iconic Seine River.
India’s outfit for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Indian athletes will be wearing a Kurta Bundi set for men and matching colour sarees for women. The clothes will have the Indian tri-colour on them as well. The outfits have been given a Banarasi touch by designer Tarun Tahiliani.
Indian Flag Bearers Over The Years
A number of athletes who have had an illustrious career over the years for India have been provided with the honour of leading the Olympics contingent as the flag bearer of the nation during the opening ceremony. Here are all the Indian flag bearers who have led the contingent over the years in the Olympics.
Olympics year |
India flag bearers |
2024 |
Sharath Kamal (Table Tennis) and PV Sindhu (Badminton) |
2020 |
Mary Kom (Boxing) and Manpreet Singh (Hockey) |
2016 |
Abhinav Bindra (Shooting) |
2012 |
Sushil Kumar (Wrestling) |
2008 |
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (Shooting) |
2004 |
Anju Bobby George (Athletics) |
2000 |
Leander Paes (Tennis) |
1996 |
Pargat Singh (Field hockey) |
1992 |
Shiny Abraham-Wilson (Athletics) |
1988 |
Kartar Singh (Wrestling) |
1984 |
Zafar Iqbal (Field hockey) |
1972 |
D. N. Devine Jones (Boxing) |
1964 |
Gurbachan Singh Randhawa (Athletics) |
1956 |
Balbir Singh, Sr (Field hockey) |
1952 |
Balbir Singh, Sr (Field hockey) |
1948 |
Talimeran Ao (Football) |
1936 |
Dhyan Chand (Field hockey) |
1932 |
Lal Shah Bhokhari (Field hockey) |
1920 |
Purma Bannerjee (Athletics) |
India aim to breach Tokyo 2020 medal tally
Going into the quadrennial event, Indian supporters will be expecting a lot from the athletes as they look to breach last year’s mark of 7 medals in Tokyo 2020. A total of 112 athletes are fighting for the podium places in Paris, 5 athletes have been kept in reserve in case of injuries.
India’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra will be especially looking forward to the Games after winning India’s first-ever gold medal in athletics. The 26-year-old will have a completely different experience as compared to that in Tokyo as this time he will be entering the arena as the defending champion rather than an underdog. India’s performance in athletics at the Asian Games was also seen as a sign of good things to come at the biggest stage of them all.
Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony live timing IST, live streaming and telecast details
When will Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony take place?
The Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony will take place on July 26 at 11 PM IST. According to Paris time, the opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 PM and is likely to conclude by 11:15 PM
Who are the Indian flag bearers at the Paris Olympics 2024?
PV Sindhu and Sharath Kamal are the official flag bearers for the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Which TV channels will live telecast the Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony in India?
Sports 18 1 HD/SD, Sports 18 2 HD/SD, and Sports 18 3 HD/SD will be live telecast the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in India.
Where to watch live streaming of the Paris Olympics 2024 Opening ceremony in India?
The Paris Olympics 2024 Opening ceremony will be available for live stream on Jio Cinema and the Jio Cinema app.
First Published: Jul 26 2024 | 9:11 AM IS