Paris is back in the spotlight this evening as the city hosts the opening ceremony of the Paralympics Games. Fresh off the heels of a blockbuster fortnight of Olympic action, the Paralympic athletes now take centre stage as they compete for medals, records and glory in front of huge crowds watching on around the globe.
The French captial is expected to be packed once again with up to 65,000 spectators expected to attend the first act of the Games which sees 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations parade down the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees in the heart of Paris ahead of what is sure to be 11 days of intense competition.
The opening ceremony’s artistic director Thomas Jolly has revealed the spectacle will “showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody”. He has promised “performances that have never been seen before” and claims that the show will “unite spectators and television audiences worldwide around the unique spirit of the Paralympic Games”.
Follow all the latest updates from the Paralympics opening ceremony with our live blog below:
Paralympics opening ceremony LIVE
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The Paralympics opening ceremony takes place in Paris this evening at 7pm BST
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Viewers can watch the ceremony live on Channel 4 from 6.30pm
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4,400 athletes will parade down the Champs-Elysees before reaching the Place de la Concorde
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Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s struggles to Paris ‘absolute disgrace’
Hannah Cockroft puts Paralympics record on the line in Paris: ‘I’m the one to beat’
18:55 , Mike Jones
Seven-time champion Hannah Cockroft insisted there is “not a single thought” Paris 2024 will be her final Paralympics as she sent out an ominous warning to her rivals.
Wheelchair racer Cockroft has dominated the women’s T34 classification for more than a decade after bursting on to the scene with two golds at London 2012.
The 32-year-old is poised to put her 100 per cent Games record on the line on Sunday when she defends her 100m title at Stade de France before bidding to retain the 800m crown the following Saturday.
Hannah Cockroft puts Paralympics record on the line in Paris: ‘I’m the one to beat’
Paralympics opening ceremony
18:53 , Mike Jones
It’s almost time for the opening ceremony to start (7pm BST).
4,400 athletes from 182 delegations will parade along the Champs-Élysées, starting at the Arc de Triomphe and ending at the Place de la Concorde.
The rest of the ceremony will then get started.
It’s currently 28 degrees in Paris which is in stark contrast to the wet and windy conditions from the Olympics opening ceremony earlier this year.
Terry Bywater carrying the flag for ParalympicsGB
18:50 , Mike Jones
Terry Bywater and his teammates take on Germany in their opening Group A fixture on Thursday morning before meeting Canada and hosts France on Saturday and Monday respectively.
The 41-year-old was born without a tibia and a fibula in his left leg, which was amputated when he was two.
“It’s a dream come true, I feel quite emotional,” he said. “Carrying the Union flag, it hasn’t sunk in – I’m just super, super proud.
“This is not just about me, this is for the 215 athletes that are here, all the staff, my family, my wife, my son, my family that have passed away that always followed me – I’ll be doing it for everyone.”
Lucy Shuker explains importance of being ParalympicsGB flagbearer
18:45 , Mike Jones
44-year-old Lucy Shuker was paralysed from the chest down following a motorbike crash in 2001 and made her Paralympic debut seven years later in Beijing.
“To have that honour to lead ParalympicsGB out is incredible and something that I never thought I would do,” she said.
“To qualify for my first Paralympics in Beijing was an achievement in itself, but to come to my fifth Paralympics and now be a flagbearer is a real dream come true.
“Leading the parade down the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde is going to be really different – eyes will be on me, but also the rest of ParalympicsGB.
“We are a big team and to be at the front of that is insane, incredible and an honour.”
Lucy Shuker and Terry Bywater named ParalympicsGB’s opening ceremony flagbearers
18:40 , Mike Jones
Wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker and wheelchair basketball player Terry Bywater have been selected as ParalympicsGB’s flagbearers for the opening ceremony of Paris 2024.
Shuker made history alongside her former doubles partner Jordanne Whiley when they became the first women to win a medal for Great Britain in their sport by claiming bronze at London 2012.
The pair also achieved third place on the podium at Rio 2016 before securing silver at the delayed Tokyo Games three years ago.
Paralympics opening ceremony
18:37 , Mike Jones
Coverage of the Paralympics opening ceremony has just begun on Channel 4 with Clare Balding watching over proceedings with former Paralympians Libby Clegg and Ellie Simmonds also on presenting duties.
ParalympicsGB has immense experience – but that also highlights the challenge at Paris 2024
18:35 , Mike Jones
Experience is not in short supply in the ranks of ParalympicsGB and that is not necessarily a good thing.
Paris 2024 will see records tumble when it comes to longevity and while all remarkable achievements individually, they are best served with a note of caution.
Before London 2012, no athlete had represented ParalympicsGB eight times; in Paris, we will see three golden oldies who have done so.
ParalympicsGB has immense experience – but that highlights challenge of Paris 2024
Who is competing for ParalympicsGB?
18:30 , Mike Jones
ParalympicsGB will compete in 19 sports in Paris, having failed to qualify in blind football, goalball and sitting volleyball.
Great Britain have 215 athletes competing including Britain’s most successful Paralympian, Sarah Storey, who is participating at a ninth Games and is hoping to add to her 17 gold medals.
Other names to look out for include wheelchair tennis Wimbledon champion Alfie Hewett, who is aiming to win a first gold medal., wheelchair racers Hannah Cockroft and Sammi Kinghorn, Para-cyclist Jody Cundy, table tennis player Will Bayley and swimmer Alice Tai.
At Tokyo 2020, Britain finished second in the medal table behind China with 124 medals, including 41 golds.
How many nations compete at the Paralympics?
18:25 , Mike Jones
Para-sport has seen an increase in the number of nations participating at the Paralympic Games as more people seek to get involved in disability sport.
The Paris Games will feature around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations but that is short of the 207 delegations who competed at the Olympics.
The total includes 167 National Paralympic Committees (NPC), an eight-strong Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT) and a Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) delegation from Russia and Belarus.
The previous record was 164 delegations at London 2012 while the previous highest number of athletes at a Paralympic Games was 4,393 at Tokyo 2020.
Which venues are being used for the Paralympics?
18:20 , Mike Jones
The Paralympics will be held in many of the same venues that were used at the Olympics.
The Grand Palais is where the wheelchair fencing and Para-taekwondo will take place but blind football be played in a specially built stadium at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
The Stade de France will host the athletics, the La Defense Arena the swimming, wheelchair tennis will be at Roland Garros, and Chateau de Versailles’ gardens will host the Para-equestrian events.
Para-triathletes will compete in the centre of Paris, with the swim leg due to take place in the River Seine as was the case with the triathlon events at the Olympics.
Paris 2024 Paralympics schedule and day-by-day events
18:15 , Mike Jones
The 2024 Paralympics in Paris officially begins with the opening ceremony on Wednesday 28 August, kicking off 11 days of competition which comes to an end on 8 September.
The Paralympics will feature 22 sports in 23 disciplines, with a total of 549 events across 11 days.
There are the traditional draws such as swimming, basketball, tennis and athletics. There will not be any new disciplines at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, but badminton will be making only its second appearance.
Here is a closer look at the full day-by-day schedule for the Games, including every session for every sport (medal events in bold).
Paris 2024 Paralympics schedule and day-by-day events
More than two million tickets sold for Paralympics
18:10 , Mike Jones
At the Beijing 2008 Games, 1.82m tickets were sold and organisers distributed 1.62m to schools, according to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) figures.
Some 2.1m tickets were sold for the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Paris 2024, however, is confident the Paralympics will be sold out, which would be a first.
“We know we will continue to sell tickets over the next days, probably until the end of the Games,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet said.
“It was the case at the Olympics, we sold tickets until the very last day, even the last hour, and that’s been very exciting for us to see that fans were excited until the end and really wanted to take the last opportunities.”
“Today, the number of tickets sold will certainly surpass the Rio numbers,” IPC spokesperson Craig Spence said.
More than two million tickets sold for Paralympics with Games set to get underway
18:05 , Mike Jones
Paris 2024 has sold just over two million tickets for the Paralympics, organisers said hours before the opening ceremony on Wednesday, adding they were confident it would be a sold-out extravaganza.
“Over two million tickets have already been sold for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, including one million in just one month,” Paris 2024 said in a statement.
Organisers said on Tuesday that some 500,000 tickets were still up for grabs, which, if they are sold, would put Paris just short of the record 2.7 million sold for the London 2012 Games, where 97% tickets were purchased.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s struggles to Paris ‘absolute disgrace’
18:00 , Mike Jones
ParalympicsGB chef de mission Penny Briscoe branded Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s struggles to reach Paris 2024 an “absolute disgrace” and feels the episode encapsulates the daily difficulties endured by disabled people.
Former wheelchair racer Grey-Thompson, an 11-time Paralympic champion, was forced to drag herself off a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train service on Monday because no staff were there to help.
The 55-year-old was travelling from Leeds to London – en route to the French capital – and posted a series of messages about her experience on social media.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s struggles to Paris ‘absolute disgrace’ – GB chief
What’s going on with the Paralympic flame?
17:55 , Mike Jones
The Paralympic flame was lit in the small village of Stoke Mandeville in England and was taken to France before being split into 12 flames and paraded across the country.
The flames travelled around the country before arriving in Paris and will be reunited as part of the ceremony. Martial artist and actor Jackie Chan has been announced as one of the torchbearers for this evening.
The Paralympic flames will make their final appearance during the opening ceremony, where they will be used to light the cauldron to symbolise the start of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
How many people will watch the ceremony?
17:50 , Mike Jones
For people in Paris, the first part of the ceremony will be open to the public to watch live for free.
15,000 tickets will be free to claim on a first-come-first-serve basis and there have been another 35,000 tickets for the ceremony sold beforehand.
Organisers say between 50,000-65,000 people are expected to watch the opening ceremony in Paris with millions more tuning in to television broadcasts.
What to expect from the opening ceremony?
17:45 , Mike Jones
Just like for the Olympic Games, the Paralympics opening ceremony will break with tradition and take place not in a stadium but in the streets.
The athletes will parade down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées before arriving at the Place de la Concorde.
Jitske Visser, a Paralympic wheelchair basketball medallist, IPC Athletes’ Commission President and competitior at Paris 2024, said:
“What an incredible moment for our athletes, who will be part of a historic Opening Ceremony, on the world’s most famous avenue, surrounded by all the charm of Paris.”
When are the Paralympics?
17:40 , Mike Jones
Competition in Paris begins on Thursday 29 August, and continues until Sunday 8 September. There are 549 medal events across 22 sports.
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Paralympics opening ceremony
17:38 , Mike Jones
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, have been welcoming world leaders to Paris ahead of tonight’s Paralympics opening ceremony.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is in the French capital to support the ParalympicsGB athletes as the Games officially kick off this evening.
When is the opening ceremony of the Paralympics?
17:35 , Mike Jones
The opening ceremony is due to start at 7pm BST on Wednesday 28 August in Paris.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the festivities live on Channel 4, with coverage on the channel from 6.30pm BST. A livestream will be available via the channel’s website.
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Paralympics opening ceremony
17:30 , Mike Jones
The Paralympics will officially get underway with a spectacular opening ceremony kicking off Paris 2024.
Like the Olympics earlier in the summer, the curtain-raising event will take place in the heart of the city, with Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees hosting 4,400 Paralympic athletes from 184 delegations ahead of 11 days of competition.
Once more led by Thomas Jolly, organisers have again eschewed the traditional stadium setting for a ceremony that will “showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values that they embody”.
The Parade of Nations will start at the Arc de Triomphe, which has been adorned with the Paralympic Agitos logo throughout the summer.
Good afternoon!
14:47 , Mike Jones
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Paralympics opening ceremony.
With the Olympics now over and done with the spotlight is on the Paralympic athletes as they kick off 11 days of intense sporting action. Paris is playing host once more with 50,000 spectators expected to line up along the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees to catch at glimpse of the athletes later on.
The ceremony begins at 7pm BST and has been described as a ‘spectacle that showcases the spirit of the Paralympic Games’. We’ll have all the latest updates from the ceremony as the evening goes on including the details on how to tune in live.
