Paris 2024 opening ceremony to be held on River Seine

The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024, will take place on the River Seine, organizers announced on Monday, breaking the long-held Summer Games tradition of a stadium procession of athletes and officials.

More than 160 boats filled with athletes and officials from more than 200 countries will sail almost 6km (4 miles) between the Pont d'Austerlitz and Pont d'Iena bridges in central Paris, with the closing ceremony scheduled to be held at the Trocadero, an expanse of gardens and fountains which overlooks the Eiffel Tower.

"Today is a stand-out moment," said Tony Estanguet, a three-time Olympic canoe C1 gold medallist who heads up the Paris 2024 organizing committee.

"There are a lot of emotions, a lot of enthusiasm. The opening ceremony is by far the biggest of markers."

Paris 2024 organizers are expecting crowds of 600,000 people for what they call the largest-ever Olympic ceremony.

Part of the public will be dispersed along the banks of the Seine in ticketed stands while the rest are able to take part for free.

France President Emmanuel Macron rubber stamped the idea of having the ceremony on the Seine in July despite some concerns voiced over how to best ensure security for such a massive event that passes by many well-known parts of Paris' iconic cityscape.

Security officials had asked for a limit of 25,000 people while organizers and the Paris city hall had initially argued for two million, according to a mayoral source.