The Paris 2024 Olympics began with a groundbreaking – and rain-soaked – opening ceremony, the first to be staged outside a stadium.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at a selection of standout images from the floating parade down the River Seine and the finale at the Trocadero.
![Great Britain flag bearers Tom Daley and Helen Glover and Team GB team-mates during the parade of a flotila of boats down the River Seine during Paris Olympics opening ceremony](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/62f8fca482cde85ee49372a1ff6101d3Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA2NTU3/2.76957988.jpg?w=640)
![Smoke in the colours of the flag of France rises above the Pont d'Austerlitz at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/c68227cd924e085f6e8a153a5ee1a608Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTAzMjg0/2.76957134.jpg?w=640)
![France president Emmanuel Macron, left, and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/4c65592187b92602648aadf87a7b6562Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA0MTY2/2.76956986.jpg?w=640)
![Spectators including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer take shelter from the rain](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/19b1279e6ba7e2ef23c95e907be3f7ecY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA5MTUy/2.76957889.jpg?w=640)
![A boat carrying the French team travels down the Seine](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/b486a0485902b168d4e19e219b345d97Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA5MzYz/2.76958630.jpg?w=640)
![The French team head under a bridge filled with performers](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/0c23653a7e86e704b1c1e4a13870c686Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEwMzY0/2.76959105.jpg?w=640)
![Lady Gaga performs in Paris](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/6f048f4e6dab82db0b1a8a8660b31b86Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA5OTk0/2.76956259.jpg?w=640)
![Shane Lowry and Sarah Lavin wave the Irish flag](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/5ab8901113b9731b3a79b9f216b78227Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEwMTEz/2.76958215.jpg?w=640)
![Coco Gauff and LeBron James wave the flag of the United States](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/d9392c72a49edb226ae472e9be46be5eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEwMjEw/2.76958595.jpg?w=640)
![The Mongolia team travel down the Seine during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/66c670d9ef9ff5284f1f29299349db53Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTExODk3/2.76958238.jpg?w=640)
![The Eiffel Tower is lit up with the Olympic rings](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/ac332dee48791c04f4cca75a719c13feY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA5NzQ1/2.76959008.jpg?w=640)
![Heavy rain falls at the Trocadero](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/3431d63ab23dea0e46721b5eee573ce8Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTExMjU5/2.76959101.jpg?w=640)
![Athletes from the Great Britain team shelter from the rain at the Trocadero](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/d71354b0734a42a9eec646d270b540fcY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTA5NTQ4/2.76958805.jpg?w=640)
![Musicians from the French National Orchestra shelter from the rain](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/2176d0a9b0171bced1c30d76a0eeb8bcY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTExNDM0/2.76959329.jpg?w=640)
![The France team travel by boat down the Seine past the Eiffel Tower](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/98d9243779f441c2dcae830a0f63b231Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTExNjM4/2.76959374.jpg?w=640)
![A horsewoman, wearing the flag of the IOC rides a metal horse down the Seine](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/a340d24d1695f19834d0e4bae609dc2cY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEzMjYz/2.76959661.jpg?w=640)
![A horsewoman, wearing the flag of the International Olympic Committee, on a metal horse at the Trocadero](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/8cf31ffa63f9b85ef6bd76764803dc78Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEyNDg4/2.76959513.jpg?w=640)
![A horsewoman carries the flag of the IOC](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/27afaf331430d71bfcc252dc69e1f210Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTEyOTE2/2.76959645.jpg?w=640)
![Zinedine Zidane, left, hands the Olympic Torch to Rafael Nadal](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/30b98041603d808e6bf469f3cf52339dY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTE1MTcw/2.76960042.jpg?w=640)
![A spectacular display lights up the Eiffel Tower](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/40ab36b612f54f8bb8f6141937b3cb2eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTE0NjAx/2.76959958.jpg?w=640)
![The Olympic flame is lit by Marie-Jose Perec, left, and Teddy Riner at the opening ceremony for the Paris Games](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/06e2377e36faf4f2bac6e2f01c5a68b8Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzIyMTE1OTMy/2.76960183.jpg?w=640)
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