Paris Paralympics 2024 opening ceremony: ‘revolution of inclusion’ – in pictures
Across three and a half hours of spectacle and speeches at the Place de la Concorde, the opening ceremony showcased 500 performers and a parade featuring 128 competing nations
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The French Air Force elite aerobatics flying team Patrouille de France perform over the PPlace de la Concorde.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
French wheelchair tennis player Michaël Jérémiasz holds the Paralympic flame during the torch relay.
Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/AFP/Getty Images
Hats off from the Australian team.
Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AAP
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony. The head of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, called for a ‘revolution of inclusion’ in his speech.
Photograph: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images for PNZ
French singer-songwriter Christine and the Queens performed an updated version of Je Ne Regrette Rien and Ravel’s Bolero.
Photograph: Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
A member of the French delegation gets into the spirit.
Photograph: Kevin Voigt/Getty Images
A dance spectacular.
Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
The performers were a mixture of disabled and non-disabled, sometimes dancing in opposition (discord) but ultimately coming together (concord) in a piece called Sportography.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Australia para athletes wave to the crowd during the opening ceremony.
Photograph: Kevin Voigt/Getty Images
Musician and model Lucky Love performs for the 35,000-strong crowd.
Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA
The hosts arrive.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Members of the US team take part in the parade.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Performers dressed as the Paris Paralympic Games mascot Phryge.
Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
Temperatures of 30C and cloudless skies made for a balmy summer night.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Fireworks bring colour to the opening ceremony.
Photograph: Thibault Camus/Reuters
Performers take to the stage.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Members of the Italian team wave their flag.
Photograph: Kevin Voigt/Getty Images
South African amputee dancer Musa Motha.
Photograph: Michel Euler/AP
The British team are cheered on.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Fireworks explode as the Olympic cauldron is lit during the opening ceremony.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Torchbearers Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Fabien Lamirault, Élodie Lorandi, Nantenin Keïta and Alexis Hanquinquant after the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images