Quick Hit:

The 2024 Paris Olympics officially opened on Wednesday, but much of the festivities began Friday with the Opening Ceremony. This year, the ceremony took place along the Seine River, featuring athletes on floats and spectators lining the riverbanks in a 3.7-mile stretch.

Key Details:

• The ceremony began at 1:30 p.m. ET Friday with much of the Olympics set to air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.

• The Parade of Nations took on the Seine River, with athletes on floats for a 3.7-mile stretch.

• LeBron James and Coco Gauff served as flag bearers for Team USA, entering the ceremony second-to-last.

Diving Deeper:

Traditionally held in an Olympic stadium, this year's ceremony featured a Parade of Nations along the Seine River. Spectators gathered on both sides of the river for a 3.7-mile stretch, watching as athletes floated by. The event culminated with the lighting of the Olympic flame, officially marking the start of the games.

NBC’s Mike Tirico hosted the broadcast alongside Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning, with "Today" hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb reporting from a bridge along the parade route. Over 3,000 dancers and 6,000 athletes participated, and featured performances by Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, and Aya Nakamura.

The Parade of Nations followed a unique route this year, with each of the 205 countries entering on a float. Greece, as the birthplace of the Olympic Games, led the parade, followed by countries in alphabetical order based on their French names. Australia was 203rd as the host of the 2032 Summer Olympics, and Team USA entered 204th as the next Summer Olympics host country, with NBA star LeBron James and reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff serving as flag bearers. The host country, France, concluded the parade.

The festivities are occurring against a backdrop of significant travel disruptions caused by multiple attacks on French rail network. The attacks, described as "unprecedented," involved several simultaneous acts of sabotage, including vandalism and fires set at train stations, severely impacting high-speed train routes and causing chaos for the influx of visitors arriving for the Olympics.