The last minute of the Paris Olympics with the winning of the first medals, live broadcast

In case you missed them, here are some takeaways from the ceremony:

Paris is shining

It wasn’t quite the night Paris 2024 organisers were expecting (more on that later). But this Friday was an opportunity to showcase the City of Light, its culture and its people.

The boats sailing along the Seine presented incredible Parisian scenes, passing historical monuments on their way to the end of the Parade of Nations at the Trocadero, with the Eiffel Tower adorned with the Olympic rings in the background. The famous monument was illuminated in all its splendor, a true beacon on a gloomy night.

Much of the city was used as part of the performances, including videos of the torchbearer running across the city’s rooftops and past iconic Parisian landmarks. While the initial portion of the ceremony varied between recorded videos and live shots of the city, it intensified as the focus shifted to Paris itself.

The ceremony celebrated some of the city’s history and culture, including a heavy metal performance in the Conciergerie, with windows filled with beheaded Marie Antoinettes lit up in red, and a fashion runway that spanned the river. Oh, and not to mention Lady Gaga, who performed a tribute to the city’s riverside cabaret culture.

As the sun set, the City of Light shone through the raindrops. The Olympic flame traveled along the illuminated Seine and the magnificent scenery outside the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower’s light show was incredible, illuminating the clouds and rain with lasers and dancing beams.

It was a great preview of what the rest of the Games will be like, with the city’s most iconic monuments serving as a backdrop to the competitions.

The rain is trying to steal the show

Rain was a warning sign Friday morning and threatened for much of the day. But the grey skies of Paris finally opened 30 minutes into the three-and-a-half hour spectacle, resulting in perhaps the most boring opening ceremony in modern Olympic history.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the Seine, dressed in ponchos and raincoats, and at the first hint of rain, umbrellas went up. But after an hour of heavy rain, it was clear that some had had enough. In the stands, after the Parade of Nations, spectators retreated to hospitality tents and other nearby covered areas, and cameras occasionally captured the crowds thinning out on the riverbank.

Rain was noticeable during the performances, as at times the dancers made uncertain movements or slid slightly during their performance. Water splashed from the musicians’ instruments as they played, and some of the boats carrying the small sports delegations seemed to be rocked by the waves of the Seine.

But the Olympic spirit was not dampened by the rain. The athletes, standing in the pouring rain days before competing in the most important competition of their lives, seemed incredibly excited as they waved to the crowds, and France seemed genuinely welcoming the Games, although perhaps most Parisians who did not had already left the city to escape the millions of people who had come to watch the competitions.

Celine Dion is back in fashion

After a spectacular light show at the Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic singers of the last decades has finally returned to performing after four years.

Celine Dion is struggling with human rigidity syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that causes spasms, muscle rigidity, and increased sensitivity to stimuli such as sound and light. According to experts, these spasms can be strong enough to break a bone, and any fall can cause serious injuries.

Stiff-man syndrome is very rare. It affects about 1 in 1 million people, and most general neurologists only see one or two cases in a lifetime. It can appear at any age, and it has been noted to affect twice as many women as men.

The exact cause of stiff-person syndrome is unclear, but research has shown that it may be due to a faulty autoimmune reaction in the brain and spinal cord. Painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and muscle relaxants may be part of the treatment for the condition, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently fast-tracked the development of a new drug.

Dion is optimistic about her recovery, recently praising her doctor and saying the fear of her illness has been replaced by hope.

Her performance of “L’Hymne à l’amour” brought the ceremony to a spectacular close. Dressed in white, Dion’s performance sent shivers down our spines, took us back in time, and her incredible voice echoed across the Seine.

At the end of his performance, the Eiffel Tower shone around him, and the audience, who had endured the rain all night, gave him a thunderous applause worthy of an icon of song.

Party in Paris on Friday Night

A long dance break midway through the show captured the atmosphere that permeated much of it: the French capital was celebrating.

Lots of techno and Europop music, accompanied by flamboyant dancers in all sorts of rave outfits, including a singer painted all blue and singing in a bed of flowers, made heads turn around the world as the French showed off their party vibe.

At the start of the ceremony, the first moment that made people stop and stare was the performance of heavy metal band Gojira and their aforementioned Headless Marie Antoinette. In an opening ceremony filled with classic rock anthems and dance numbers, the pounding drums and rhythmic guitars provided an unexpected change of pace (in fact, it was the first time a metal band had performed at an opening ceremony), but they made their mark.

A stirring rendition of the host country’s national anthem, La Marseillaise, was also heard from the top of the Grand Palais, which certainly lifted the spirits of the French.

The traditional sing-along of John Lennon’s “Imagine” was accompanied by the sound of a piano on a floating stage on the Seine. It was a truly incredible moment as the lights went out along the river.

And while volunteers carried the flags of the countries to the Trocadero, a rider on a galloping iron horse glided along the Seine with the Olympic flag as a cape in a unique Olympic moment. Iron horse and rider gave way to living versions of both, carrying the Olympic flag that will be officially raised.

The magnificent illumination of the Olympic cauldron

The 2024 Games promised an unrivaled opening ceremony, and it delivered, including the incredible lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

The torch was carried by dozens of French athletes and other famous Olympians past and present, such as Zinedine Zidane, Rafael Nadal (who carried it on a boat along the Seine), Serena Williams (who rode with Nadal), Carl Lewis and Tony Parker.

And when the final torchbearers, judo star Teddy Riner and 400m sprinter Marie-Josée Perec, lit the Olympic cauldron attached to a giant balloon, it began to float.

The Olympic flame completed its night flight over Paris, giving cameras one last chance to capture the incredible Parisian skyline.

CNN’s Sandy LaMotte contributed to this report.