2024 Olympic opening ceremony: Date, time, torch relay, more - ESPN

A highly anticipated global sporting event that only happens once every four years deserves a grand opening.

For the <a href="/olympics/story/_/id/40322251/2024-summer-olympics-paris-dates-locations-song-motto-opening-ceremony?appearance=dark&appsrc=" https:>2024 Summer Olympics

, the host city of Paris and the Olympic organizing committee are set to deliver the largest opening ceremony in Olympic history.

Here are key facts about the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Games.

When is the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics?

The opening ceremony will take place July 26.

What time is the opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. Paris time (1:30 p.m. ET).

Where is the opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony will take place along the Seine River in the heart of Paris. It will mark the first time in the history of the Summer Games that the ceremony will not be held inside a stadium.

What other details make the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics different from previous Olympic Games?

As opposed to parading through a stadium, several thousand Olympic athletes will sail along the Seine River, passing by some of Paris' most historic monuments and iconic landmarks, while hundreds of thousands of spectators look on.

The athletes will travel east to west from the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadéro, where the final elements of the opening ceremony and celebration will take place.

The ceremony is set to coincide with the setting of the sun, providing a spectacle for both in-person spectators and television viewers.

How does the Olympic torch relay work?

The modern Olympic torch was first used at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. Inspired by ancient Greece, the torch relay signals the start