Even those of us who are apathetic towards sports can’t deny the magnetism of the Olympics. With so many athletes from so many nations competing in so many events (329, to be exact) it’s an undeniably dazzling spectacle of teamwork, endurance, dedication and talent.
Sure, heading to Paris to be in the midst of the action (with a ticket or at a screening) is an incredible opportunity, but watching it at home can still be electric. Everyone remembers where they watched Super Saturday at London 2012, right?
So, whether you’re planning your next two weeks around the sporting schedule, or just hoping to catch a glimpse whenever you can, here is a guide on how to watch the 2024 Olympic Games in the UK.
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What time does the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony start in the UK?
The starting pistol of the opening ceremony will be fired at 6.30pm BST on Friday July 26. The summer games will officially be launched at 8.24pm CEST (or 20.24 – get it?) which is 7.24pm BST.
How long is the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony should last around three and a half hours, until 10pm BST. You can read more about the exact timings in our opening ceremony guide here.
TV channel and how to watch
The BBC will provide all the essential Olympics coverage for free, from 8am until 10pm everyday on BBC One (and BBC Two when the news is on). There’ll also be an Olympics Extra channel on iPlayer, alongside further coverage on Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2 and Discovery+ (though these require a subscription). You can read more about how to tune into the Games in our guide here.
Opening Ceremony location
For the first time ever, the opening ceremony will not be taking place in a stadium, but instead on the Seine. That’s right – thousands of athletes journey along a 6km route from the Austerlitz bridge to in front of the Trocadéro, each nation on their own boat. Given there are 206 different teams competing, it promises to be quite the display.
Performers
After months of mystery as to who would perform at the opening ceremony – the whole thing was kept impressively under wraps – we now know who’ll be performing. Aya Nakamura, the most listened-to French singer worldwide, is on the lineup, as well as Celine Dion are also set to perform, perhaps with a rendition of ‘La Vie En Rose’. Lady Gaga will perform, too.
Find the full line-up of performers here.
Team GB flagbearers
Ceremonially leading Team GB at the ceremony will be two familiar names: diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover.
Daley has won four Olympic medals and is competing in his fifth Games, while two-time champion Glover is competing at her fourth Games.
Who are the Team GB Olympic medal hopefuls?
Team GB is actually the smallest it’s been in terms of the number of athletes since the Beijing 2008 Olympics, but medals are expected across a broader range of sports than ever before. Here’s a list of some of Team GB’s medal hopefuls:
- Dina Asher-Smith (athletics)
- Keely Hodgkinson (athletics)
- Tom Daley (diving)
- Adam Peaty (swimming)
- Sky Brown (skateboarding: park)
- Jake Jarman (gymnastics)
- Bryony Page (trampolining)
- Alex Yee (triathlon)
- Beth Shreiver (BMX racing)
- Bradley Sinden (taekwondo)
What’s been said about the Paris 2024 Summer Games so far?
The Opening Ceremony hasn’t even happened yet and Paris has already been dubbed a historic edition of the Games. Not only is this the first opening ceremony to take place outside a stadium, but Paris becomes the second city to host the Olympics three times (along with London), having previously done so in 1900 and 1924.
Who lit the Olympic flame in 2012?
Back when London hosted the games in 2012, the Olympic Cauldron wasn’t lit by one person but seven. Seven teenagers were hand-picked by British athletes to light it. They were:
- Airlie (chosen by Shirley Robertson)
- Duckitt (Duncan Goodhew)
- Henry (Daley Thompson)
- Kirk (Dame Mary Peters)
- MacRitchie (Sir Steve Redgrave)
- Reynolds (Lynn Davies)
- Tracey (Dame Kelly Holmes)
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