Paris Olympics organizers issued an apology on Sunday for any offense caused by their unconventional and bold opening ceremony, denying any intention to disrespect religion following complaints from French bishops.
Certain Catholic groups and French bishops criticized what they perceived as “scenes of derision and mockery of Christianity” in the Friday parade choreographed by theater director Thomas Jolly. The criticism centered on a scene with dancers, drag queens, and a DJ that some saw as reminiscent of the Last Supper, the final meal Jesus is said to have shared with his apostles.
“Clearly, there was no intention to disrespect any religious group,” Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters. “If any offense was taken, we are truly, deeply sorry,” she added.
Jolly, 42, denied that his nearly four-hour production, which took place in heavy rain along the River Seine, was inspired by the Last Supper. The scene aimed to promote tolerance of various sexual and gender identities and featured French actor Philippe Katerine, who appeared nearly naked and painted blue on a silver serving dish. He was meant to portray Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and pleasure, who was the father of Sequana, the goddess of the River Seine.
“The idea was to create a grand pagan celebration linked to the gods of Olympus,” Jolly told the BFM channel. “You won’t find any intention to mock or denigrate anyone in my work. I aimed for a ceremony that brings people together, reconciles, and affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality, and fraternity,” he added.
Another striking moment involved a woman representing the executed French queen Marie-Antoinette, appearing in a window of the Conciergerie, the building where she was imprisoned after the 1789 French Revolution. “Certainly, we were not glorifying the guillotine,” Jolly explained.
Reactions to the unprecedented ceremony, which marked the first time a Summer Olympics opened outside of a main athletics stadium, were mixed. A poll by Harris, commissioned by Paris 2024 organizers, revealed that 86% of respondents in France had positive views on the ceremony. Quebec-born singer Celine Dion, who concluded the event with a solo performance from the Eiffel Tower, was highlighted as a memorable feature of the parade.
French President Emmanuel Macron remarked that the ceremony had “made our compatriots extremely proud.” However, some conservative critics were upset by the racially diverse cast and the emphasis on women and LGBT+ performers, labeling it as “woke.” Julien Odoul of France’s far-right National Rally party called it “a ransacking of French culture,” and Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova referred to it as a “giant gay parade.”
American broadcaster NBC reported that the procession was the most-watched Olympic opening since London 2012, while German broadcaster ARD noted it as the most-watched in 20 years, according to International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams. Around 300,000 spectators watched from the riverbanks, often paying hundreds or even thousands of euros for the experience.