It's been three long years, but the pinnacle of sport, the Olympic Games are finally back, and Paris is putting on the show of a lifetime, despite the British weather making its way over the Channel to bless the ceremony with plenty of rain.
For the first time in history, the opening ceremony for the Olympics took place outside of a stadium, with the River Seine serving as the main backdrop with athletes going down the river on dozens of boats.
Interval acts featured plenty of the city's iconic landmarks from Notre Dame, to the sewers and Paris Catacombs and even the Louvre Art Museum, with the Venus de Milo. A skit for the opening ceremony highlighted the lack of stadium, with children and French sporting icons taking the torch through iconic Parisian locations instead.
© PETER CZIBORRABoth Celine Dion and Lady Gaga have been seen in the French city, ahead of the games and it's believed that the duo will be jointly performing a tribute to the iconic singer Edith Piaf.
© Roy RochlinFrench-Malian singer Aya Nakamura all appeared singing her hit song, Pookie. When she was mooted as a possible performer for the Games, she was met with a racist backlash.
So, will this opening ceremony top London 2012, which featured plenty of British icons, and saw the late Queen 'jump' out of a helicopter with James Bond star Daniel Craig. Follow along with HELLO! and find out…
© Associated Press / Alamy Stock PhotoThe ceremony is currently underway with the athletes' procession, with competing countries arriving in alphabetical order, according to the French language. As per custom, Greece led the way, followed by the Refugee Team before the rest of the countries.
© Associated Press / Alamy Stock PhotoDuring the procession, fans were treated to a performance of Mon Truc en Plume Par originally by Zizi Jeanmaire and this time by American-born singer Lady Gaga, and with feathers, dancers dressed in black and a slinky black number herself, the American-born singer brought high camp and brought the house down!
© Naomi BakerOther interval acts included a techno remix of the iconic Can Can performed by dancers from the Moulin Rouge. There was also a musical number inspired by the sounds of the tools used to reconstruct the Notre Dame following the horrific fire that devastated the landmark back in 2019 and a rock performance inspired by Les Miserables and even a surprise appearance from Illumination's Minions!
One of the more unique moments featured a Parisian runway, eschewing Paris Fashion Week, which showed off French fashion. Following the Parade of Nations, viewers were treated to a celebration of Europop classics, highlighting France's connections to the European Union.
As athletes docked, they disembarked their boats, walking past the Eiffel Tower and into a temporary stadium constructed for the Games.
Check out more photos of the event below...
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© Naomi BakerAndy Murray's last Olympics
British tennis star Andy Murray was among the athletes on Britain's boat, and this will be the final Olympics for the Scottish-born champion.
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© Mike Egerton - PA ImagesJill Biden watches on
In the gallery was First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, cheering the United States team on.
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© picture allianceLady Gaga's performance
Lady Gaga was the queen of the performances with a feathery number. Seems that rumours of her performance because of a "piano by the water" proved to be correct after all!
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© MANAN VATSYAYANANadal's appearance
Spanish athlete Rafael Nadal chose not to join his fellow athletes on the floating armada, instead watching the action with his son, who sweetly held onto a Spanish flag.
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© Naomi BakerTom's final Olympics
It's not Andy Murray who will be making his final Olympics, after deciding to compete for his young son Robbie, British diving legend Tom Daley is also making his final appearance.
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© Matthew StockmanStar power
The stars were out in force for the Olympics, with the likes of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo seen in attendance. Cynthia channelled an evil witch with her green frock, with Ariana opting for her nice counterpart with a baby pink outfit.
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© Naomi BakerTitanic moment
With the athletes all floating along, Tom and Helen couldn't help themselves and they recreated the iconic scene from Titanic. With Celine Dion having performed the film's unforgettable main theme, was this a hint to her upcoming performance?
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© picture allianceCanadian athletes
The Canadian team looked full of energy as they arrived for the Olympics. Among their medal hopes are Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers for the hammer throw, Summer McIntosh for swimming and Andre de Grasse for track events.
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© ODD ANDERSENRoyals getting wet in the rain
Despite the rain, King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima avoided the ponchos as they proudly supported the Dutch Olympic team.
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© OLI SCARFFA wet King
King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain were a little more disturbed by the weather at the opening ceremony, with Letizia seen hiding underneath her poncho.
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© Stephen McCarthyTeam Ireland
Every team headed down the Seine.
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© PAUL ELLISA French spectacle
Does it get more French than this? The boats made their way past the Eiffel Tower.
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© QUINN ROONEYTeam Australia
Team Australia looked incredibly lively as their boat went up the Seine.
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© LUDOVIC MARINPouring rain for the royals
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene didn't seem to mind the rain, as they laughed while getting soaked in the deluge.
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© picture allianceTeam US rules the roost
With a 600-strong team and the youngest-ever flag bearer in Olympics history, Team USA made quite the impact when they sailed down the Seine second to last.
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© Lars BaronFrance closes it out
The parade of nations ended with France's team sailing down the Seine as the French flag was lit up in a water feature.