Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Celine Dion, & More Make Appearances at 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony

The Olympics may be all about sports, but this year's opening ceremony proved music can also be at the forefront. Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, Celine Dion, Snoop Dogg, metal band Gojira, and opera singer Marina Viotti all made appearances during this year's proceedings in Paris.

The ceremony took place on Friday, July 26. The artists listed either performed during the ceremony or acted as torch-bearers. Starting off with the performers: Lady Gaga captivated the crowd with a rendition of “Mon truc en plumes.” Her act featured a cascade of pink feather props, a troop of background dancers, and a golden staircase behind her.

Later, French group Gojira became the first metal band to play an Olympic opening ceremony. They were joined by opera singer Marina Viotti to do the song “Ah! Ça Ira,” which, according to The New York Times, was a popular tune during the French Revolution.

And, triumphantly, Celine Dion was the last performer, marking her return to the stage for the first time since her 2022 diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome. The Québécois singer performed "Hymne à l’amour" while standing on the Eiffel Tower. She had teased her comeback in April, telling Vogue France, “I’ve chosen to work with all my body and soul, from head to toe, with a medical team. I want to be the best I can be. My goal is to see the Eiffel Tower again!”

As for torch-bearers, Snoop Dogg and Pharrell Williams both carried the flame during the final leg of the 2024 relay. Pharrell in particular was a surprise addition to the trek. He concluded the ritual to signal the beginning of the games. Other notable torch-bearers included Salma Hayek, MC Solaar, singer Patrick Bruel, and drag queen Minima Geste.

“I look at this as a prestigious honor and something I truly respect,” Snoop, who will provide on-the-ground coverage of the Games for NBC this year, previously told the Associated Press. “I would have never dreamed of nothing like this. I’m going to be on my best behavior. I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is.”

The 2024 Olympic Games will be airing live on NBC until August 11. NBC Sports has disabled YouTube playback on other websites, but you can watch videos of the notable performances and appearances by clicking the boxes below.

Lady Gaga:

Gojira:

Celine Dion:

Snoop Dogg:

Pharrell Williams:

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_{Article Image: Photos of Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams, and Celine Dion. (Jeffrey Terranova [CC BY 2.0], NASA/Joel Kowsky [Available through Public Domain], and Egghead06 [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)}