Paris, France (AFP) — A historic boat parade down the River Seine launched the Paris Olympics with spectacular French flair Friday, as the City of Light welcomed the world’s greatest athletes for a sporting extravaganza.

A show-stopping performance by Celine Dion, a flaming Olympic cauldron lifted into the night sky by hot-air balloon, and a dazzling Eiffel Tower light show brought the curtain down on a four-hour celebration of French culture, history and art.

Braving torrential rain, some 300,000 people had lined the river banks to cheer on the armada carrying competitors past the city’s iconic sights: the Eiffel Tower bearing the five Olympic rings, the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral.

The wildly ambitious display was the first time the Olympic opening ceremony has been staged outside the main stadium, making it the biggest-ever launch for the “Greatest Show on Earth”.

But that gamble also made the ceremony hostage to the weather, with spectators, VIPs, and athletes alike drenched or huddling in transparent ponchos.

Some spectators refused to let the downpour get them down.

“I’ve got such an adrenaline rush. It’s very exciting,” said Selene Martinez, 42, who had travelled from Mexico for the ceremony.

But others were less stoic about the heavy rain on the parade, with some leaving the ceremony early to seek shelter.

“It’s a great idea. The performances are awesome. I just wish it wasn’t raining,” said Pauline Brett, 69, who had come from Chicago with her family.

In the City of Love, the ceremony stressed togetherness and unity in a world that has suffered wars, massacres, and political upheaval since the COVID-delayed Tokyo Olympics.

Four jets from the French air force display team drew a large pink heart in the Paris sky to set the tone.

For just over a fortnight, organisers hope the superhuman performances of stars like gymnast Simone Biles, tennis champion Novak Djokovic or sprinter Noah Lyles will provide the world with much-needed distraction.

Beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, breakdancing in Place de la Concorde, equestrian sport at the Palace of Versailles: 100 years since Paris last staged the Olympics, the city will provide a stunning backdrop to the sport.

“I declare open the Games of Paris celebrating the 33rd Olympiad of the modern era,” said President Emmanuel Macron.

In a symbol of the Games’ message of gender parity, French track legend Marie-Jose Perec and three-time Olympic judo champion Teddy Riner lit the Olympic cauldron together.

Dion closed the show from the first level of the Eiffel Tower, with her first public performance since revealing she was suffering from a rare illness.