Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: Press conference scrapped

Press conference regarding this evening's opening ceremony has been cancelled just 20 minutes before its start. GETTY IMAGES

Paris 2024 Olympics organisers have cancelled the press conference discussing the opening ceremony less than 20 minutes before it was set to begin. Currently, no explanation has been offered but two technical directors were reportedly called away to work on fine-tuning according to the Daily Mail. 

Officials say the ceremony will go ahead even after a wave of “sabotage” hit the French rail network bringing trains to a halt with just hours to go before the opening ceremony. 

Just 45 minutes before creative directors Thomas Jolly and Thierry Reboul were due to give a briefing to reporters in the main media centre at the Palais de Congres, reporters received a WhatsApp message drop calling it off.

“Paris 2024 is sorry to inform you that this morning’s press conference is cancelled. We wish you a good day, fantastic Games and remain available to answer your questions,” the message read. 

Paris is also set to be hit by bad weather tonight, and concerns over the event, with heavy rain falling in Paris this morning, which could cause issues around the river by the time the ceremony gets underway. 

The Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in Paris is the first in history to take place outside of a closed stadium. Instead approximately 6,800 athletes will parade on over 90 boats along the River Seine, covering 6 kilometres. Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line the Seine’s banks for the parade.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony is set to begin at 19:30 CEST (18:30 GMT).



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