With France hosting the 2024, one of the country’s greatest metal bands, Gojira, will actually be part of the opening ceremony festivities taking place on Friday (July 26).
Local paper Le Parisien (via Time Out) shared some of the performers for tomorrow’s opening ceremonies, with Gojira joining Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Aya Nakamura among those who will be featured. The band is reportedly part of a collaborative performance, teaming up with opera singer Marina Viotti during their time in the Olympic spotlight.
When Is the Olympic Opening Ceremony?
The ceremony itself is expected to begin at 7:30PM in Paris, which will be 1:30PM for viewers in the Eastern time zone of the U.S., 12:30PM for viewers in the Central time zone, 11:30AM for viewers in the Mountain time zone and 10:30AM for viewers in the Pacific time zone.
How to Watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony
NBC has the broadcast rights in the U.S. The network will start with a pre-show airing at noon ET on Friday (July 26). The opening ceremony officially kicks off at 1:30PM ET. The prime-time encore telecast, which features additional content, will air later in the day for U.S. viewers, at 7:30PM ET. The ceremony is expected to last over four hours in length.
NBC will have 40 cameras capturing the action in Paris. The ceremony will be broadcast on TV and streamed in digital format on NBC, Peacock and NBC Olympics.
About the Olympics Opening Ceremony
Traditionally, the Olympic Opening Ceremony provides a showcase for the host country, while athletes from around the world enter the venue as part of the “Parade of Nations.”
For the first time with France hosting this year’s Olympics, the opening ceremony won’t be held inside a stadium. Rather, athletes will proceed on boat sailing along the Seine River in Paris.
“An opening ceremony has never been held outside of a stadium. There is no model; it’s absolute creation,” opening ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly told The Associated Press.
Per NBC News, “Each national delegation will ride in a boat equipped with cameras that enable immersive access for viewers.”
The ceremony will begin at the Austerlitz Bridge and travel just under four miles down the river, landing at the Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, the athletes will pass the city’s most prominent icons, including the Louvre and the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.
At the end of the route, the Olympic torch will be lit. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to speak.
What Have Gojira Been Up To?
Gojira have become one of the more successful metal bands of the 21st century, releasing seven studio albums starting with their Terra Incognita 2001 debut and most recently featuring 2021’s Fortitude album.
The band has also used their music as a platform to speak about causes close to their heart, with environmentalism being a theme that has often permeated their songs. They’ve turned a spotlight on climate change, marine pollution and the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in the past.
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At present, Gojira appear to be between albums, but the band will return to the concert stage this fall as support for Korn on their North American tour. Dates begin Sept. 12 in Tampa, Fla. See all the stops and get ticketing information through the band’s website.
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Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita