The Paris Paralympics 2024: Opening Ceremony, Venues, and Highlights

The Paris Paralympics kick off on Wednesday with an impressive opening ceremony beneath an elegant roof, set in a city still buzzing from the successful Olympics. A mix of seasoned Paralympians and fresh talents will compete in familiar Olympic venues, with 18 out of 35 venues being utilized for the Paralympics, running until September 8. Noteworthy locations like the Grand Palais, lauded for its fencing and taekwondo events under a grand roof, and the La Defense Arena, hosting 141 para-swimming gold-medal contests, are back in action. The track and field events will once again grace the Stade de France. The Games will commence with a ceremony at Place de la Concorde, where ‘urban’ sports like skateboarding unfolded during the Olympics. Notably, the ceremony will take place outside the main stadium, a first for the Paralympics.