In pictures: The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics | CNN (2024)

FAQs

Who is the blue guy at the Paris opening ceremony? ›

Controversial 'blue man' at Olympic ceremony says he's sorry

CNN's Saskya Vandoorne speaks to French entertainer Philippe Katerine, who appeared as semi-naked Greek god Dionysus during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Unconventionally staged not in the Olympic stadium but along the river Seine, in a journey from the Pont d'Austerlitz to the Eiffel Tower, it featured twelve thematic tableaux whose rhyming titles included the Gallic triad of Liberté, Egalité and Fraternité, along with, among others, Sororité, Synchronicité and ...

Philippe Katerine, the French singer-songwriter who appeared naked and painted blue. The French entertainer was depicted as Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, and sang a song “wearing” only glittery blue paint, donning a bright orange beard and some carefully placed flowers.

From creator to skilled horse rider

They were looking for a horse rider or a pilot to jump on the mechanical horse. However, they did not find someone as "it was still quite dangerous". The mysterious escort on the evening of the ceremony ended up being the engineer and trimaran's co-creator Morgane Suquart.

In the scene, Katerine sang a song while lying on a table, seemingly without clothes and covered head-to-toe in glittery blue paint. His appearance went viral on social media, watched by millions of people around the world.

Philippe Katerine, a boundary-pushing actor and singer, told Le Parisien newspaper that he spent two hours in makeup being coated with “gallons” of waterproof paint in a shade of sky blue and sprinkled with yellow glitter, which he said he was still finding traces of a day after the ceremony.

Hugo Bardin, who performs as the drag queen Paloma, felt it was meaningful and important to be part of a Paris Olympics opening ceremony that presented a multifaceted, multi-ethnic France with people of different ethnicities and orientations.

In one scene, drag queens and dancers lined a long table in an image that sparked controversy after some connected the moment with Leonardo da Vinci's “The Last Supper” portrait of Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles.

A person painted sparkly blue, singing in French, was resting on a dinner platter in front. Some social media users said the image resembled the portrait of Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles before he was crucified, which became the center of swift backlash.

In August 2005, Blue split up to pursue solo careers under the advice of Sir Elton John. Blue reformed on 28 April 2009. Ryan has had three number one hits while with Blue. He had previously co-directed the video for Blue's single "Breathe Easy", which he also wrote and which was shot in Prague.

Who was the famous Blue singer? ›

1. B.B. King. Out of the Three Kings of the Blues: Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King, we'll pick one and that will be Riley aka B.B. This is for one simple reason - he truly is The King of the Blues AND he gave us Lucille! Like most notable artists, B.B. King had humble beginnings.

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" is a song by Italian music group Eiffel 65. It was first released in October 1998 in Italy by Skooby Records and became internationally successful the following year. It is the lead single of the group's 1999 debut album, Europop.

On X (formerly Twitter), onlookers reacted to the mistake, some seeing it as a simple error, while others argued that it was "embarrassing." Interestingly, an upside down flag was at one point an apolitical gesture by sailors to signal distress.

In a one-of-a-kind Olympic moment, a metal horse galloped down the Seine River Friday to deliver the Olympic flag during the opening ceremony at the Paris Games. The rider, wearing the flag of the International Olympic Committee, galloped down the river past amazed audiences, meant to symbolize the Olympic spirit.

Answer: The five Olympic rings represent the five inhabited continents of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The interlinked rings symbolize the inclusivity of Olympism and the gathering of athletes from across the world for the Olympic Games.

The Smurf. A giant cloche was raised to reveal a fruit salad topped by a near-naked man covered in blue paint, sporting a bright orange beard and wearing a fruit headdress and sash. Looking like some kind of deranged Smurf, he then began to sing.

Who was the semi-naked blue man at the Paris Olympics? That would be French singer and actor Philippe Katerine. Katerine, 55, became popular in France in the 2000s with his dance beat “Louxor, j'adore.”

Hugo Bardin, who performs as the drag queen Paloma, felt it was meaningful and important to be part of a Paris Olympics opening ceremony that presented a multifaceted, multi-ethnic France with people of different ethnicities and orientations.

When a giant silver dome lifted to reveal singer Philippe Katerine reclining on a crown of fruit and flowers, practically naked and painted blue, audiences who didn't think he was Papa Smurf may have guessed that he represented Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and ecstasy.