See photos of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony

With umbrellas deployed, thousands of athletes and spectators who lined the streets of Paris officially kicked off the 2024 Olympics on Friday.

The ambitious ceremony kicked off with a giant plume of blue, white and red smoke in the colors of the French national flag with the Parade of Nations from the Austerlitz Bridge beside the Jardin des Plantes.

Athletes aboard boats traveled the course of the Seine River from east to west, getting a glimpse of several Olympic venues including the La Concorde Urban Park, Invalides and the Grand Palais.

Giant jets of water spurted up from the river as the Greek delegation — as always — was the first boat under the bridge and along the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.

American singer Lady Gaga graced the crowds with a performance at a makeshift yellow staircase in the traditional style of the old French subways.

About 220,000 invited and security-screened spectators filled the upper tiers of the Seine's banks, and an additional 104,000 paying spectators watched from the lower riverside and around the Trocadéro plaza.

The parade ended at the Iena Bridge, which links the Eiffel Tower on the left bank of the Seine to the Trocadéro district on the right bank.

Here are more photos from the event:

In:
• Olympics
• France