Paris Olympics 2024 Opening Ceremony Set on the Still-Unpurified Seine, to Feature an Exclusive Joint Fashion Show

The Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, and the magazine are preparing a grand opening celebration as the 2024 Paris Olympics approach. Pharrell Williams will be an event director featuring luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Balmain, and Jacquemus on June 23, International Olympic Day. Despite the glamour, concerns about the cleanliness of the Seine still exist, which is crucial for hosting Olympic activities.

The trial run that was canceled last summer serves as a reminder of the challenges that lay ahead. Nevertheless, Parisians come together to rejuvenate their river by employing state-of-the-art methods like the Austerlitz Storage basin and underground reservoirs. The combination of fashion and sport represents Paris’s perseverance in trying to bring back the purity of its historic river.

Organizing a fashion show for the opening event

With only 150 days till the event, Vogue, the epitome of sophistication and fine couture, has unveiled plans for a fashion show to open the Games in Paris. Anna Wintour, expressed, “a mixture of fashion show, entertainment and performances… and a few surprises.” However, there are still unanswered responses about if the Seine is the best site for such a momentous event.

Recalling the city’s hosting of the Games a century earlier, Parisian authorities had considered the Seine River as a suitable venue for the Olympics. There are concerns regarding the river’s fitness for the opening ceremony and swimming sports due to the presence of metals, pollution, and fecal germs. Is the Seine clean enough to host the Paris Olympics in 2024? is a concern that hovers among the gloss of the upcoming fashion show.

Pollution problems with the Seine for the Paris Olympics

Though doubts over the condition of the Seine are maintained, plans for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics are moving forward cautiously. The ceremony will be held outdoors at a stadium for the first time in Olympic history, with a river acting as the backdrop. The march, spanning six kilometers, will traverse the heart of Paris and conclude in front of Trocadero. Each nation’s delegation will be represented by a different boat.

Read More: Is Paris Ready to Host the Olympics? The Struggle to Clean Up the Seine in the Host City

The Paris Seine River still has pollution issues despite ongoing cleanup efforts. The millions of cubic meters of untreated sewage dumped into the river in recent years have worsened its condition. To enhance the water quality, officials take action, including organizing initiatives for underwater cleaning. The river’s current state still falls short of what is required to host swimming competitions. Thus, it is hoped that the river would contribute to the Games being historically significant.