The first ever Paralympic Games in France have opened in the capital Paris, with a stunning opening ceremony taking place outdoors for the first time in history. Some 4,400 athletes from around the world will compete in 22 sports, sharing the excitement of Paralympic sport with spectators for the first time in eight years.

Athletes from a record 168 delegations paraded down the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees, before thousands of fans who cheered, clapped and waved flags as the athletes took to the stage. Athletes danced, waved to the crowd and posed for photos as they performed a lap around the world’s most beautiful public square.

Fans and athletes became one as the French delegation entered the Place de la Concorde to the sound of “Champs-Elysees”. Led by flag bearers Nantenin Keita and Alexis Hanquinquant, the French athletes embraced the love of the spectators, who turned on their phone flashlights to support the hosts.

Big party in Paris

Wearing a ceremonial crown, Indonesian para-powerlifter Nengah Widiasih couldn’t wait to attend the ceremony.

“I want to see a great ceremony tonight. It’s the first time I’m going to a ceremony. It’s my first experience. Fourth Paralympics, but I’ve never been to the opening, usually my competition is the next day.”

Another athlete with high expectations for the ceremony was South African flag bearer Mpumelelo Mhlongo. “I just expect a huge crowd to be there to welcome the Paralympians from all over the world, and for many countries to create a good atmosphere to show France how grateful we are for hosting us and for creating such a great event for us to showcase our talent,” said Mhlongo, who will compete in Para athletics.

In the opening minutes of the opening ceremony, French Paralympic hero Theo Curin rode in a Phryge taxi, a red car decorated with hundreds of the Paralympic mascots. The Paralympic swimmer, who competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, took French athletes for a ride as he talked about what it’s like to compete at a home meet.

As the countdown ended, the Paralympic swimmer shouted “Welcome to Paris” as fireworks exploded, lighting up the sky in red, white and blue, the colours of the French flag. Eyes continued to be drawn upwards as the Patrouille acrobatique de France also performed a flyby, releasing smoke that matched the French flag.

The ceremony featured music and dance routines, setting the stage for 11 days of exhilarating Paralympic competition. It included a grand choreographic show, with many dancers using crutches to showcase the theme of overcoming physical differences, creating a new, inclusive competition where unity and equality were successful.

The final performance of the evening saw Christine and the Queens take to the stage, singing to a performance by wheelchair dancers who spun on the floor, a performance inspired by and a tribute to Sue Austin, a disabled British artist who used the wheels of her wheelchair to paint.

Ready, set, go…

There will be around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations, including the largest ever Paralympic Refugee Team. Three National Paralympic Committees – Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo – will make their Paralympic debut in the French capital. There will be a record number of female athletes.

Athletes were greeted by thousands of spectators – and 15 Phryge mascots who danced, jumped around and even read newspapers on stage. With a beautiful sunset and the Eiffel Tower also in the background, athletes celebrated the opening of the Games.

“I’m very excited. It’s my first time. I can’t wait. I watched the Olympic ceremony and it was so cool. There’s so much to do and everything is so great, I’m so happy to be here,” said Finland’s Lida Lounela, who is making her Paralympic debut in Paris.

There was a huge cheer from the crowd as the Refugee Paralympic Team entered the Place de la Concord. Led by flag bearer Guillaume Junior Atangana, the RPT will feature eight athletes competing in six sports: Para athletics, Para powerlifting, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon and wheelchair fencing.

With a DJ playing electronic music, the Place de la Concorde was transformed into a dance floor or even what looked like a large fashion show. Athletes from many countries, including Indonesia, Ghana and the Solomon Islands, wore traditional costumes to show off their cultures.

Henry Kwaku Nyanteh Lorbi, Chef de Mission of Ghana, explained the idea behind a traditional costume during the opening ceremony.

“Our uniform is traditional, handwoven, we have different colors and different designs that express a story. Every uniform you see is a different fabric with a different story, which shows that we use our individual differences and bring them together.”

Tahiru Haruna, who will represent Ghana in Para powerlifting, said: “I want to see the flags of the whole world, Africa, Asia, I want to see everyone smiling. This unites everyone. This is sport. That’s why it’s called the Paralympics – we move together, we love ourselves.”

A family affair

South African Mhlongo said: “I think it’s everything (to have an audience). We know from Covid that our sport is nothing without a community, so without the audience we don’t exist. You don’t get the performance out of the athletes. It’s a symbiotic relationship.”

“Lucky number three. I’ve always been in mixed class events so I’ve always had the Paralympic record and world record but always finished 5th. This is the first year we’ve had our own 100m in our class so I just want to show the T44 class and how much talent we have there.”

It was also a family moment for Mhlongo. His wife Monique Atouguia, who wore the colours of the South African flag, cheered as she watched her husband carry the flag at his third Paralympics, with her brother and her mother. Her husband’s family will arrive tomorrow to complete the family celebration.

“I’m so excited, so emotional. This is his third Paralympics and he’s retiring, so it’s a big deal. It’s a big one (with him carrying the flag), and of course it’s nice to have a moment to honour the athletes without them even competing, that’s great,” Monique Atouguia told the IPC at the opening ceremony.

“It’s unity, it’s diversity, it’s the power of what we can achieve together. All of that, it’s a night to celebrate,” she said.

The inclusion revolution starts here

The opening ceremony, directed by Thomas Jolly, focused on disability and the joy of life. A black-and-white film after the Parade of Nations followed individuals on their journey of reflection, from the initial difficulties of accepting differences to finding self-confidence. As people opened up about their feelings, the audience responded and clapped.

“Here at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, we will celebrate what makes us different, show that there is strength in differences, beauty in differences, and that differences serve as a powerful force for good,” said Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, in his speech.

“The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show what people with disabilities can achieve at the highest level when barriers to success are removed.

“The fact that these opportunities will largely exist only in sport in 2024 is shocking. It is evidence that we can and must do more to promote disability inclusion – whether that is on the playing field, in the classroom, in the concert hall or in the boardroom.

“That’s why I hope that Paris 2024, 225 years after Place de la Concorde was central to the French Revolution, will spark a Paralympic revolution, an inclusion revolution.”

The kettle is burning

The opening ceremony concluded with the lighting of the cauldron by the last five torchbearers: French Paralympians Alexis Hanquiquant, Nantenin Keita, Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Fabien Lamirault and Elodie Lorandi.

The cauldron, which looked like a hot air balloon, rose into the sky above the City of Light for a dazzling finale.