At the end of next week, approximately 300,000 spectators will gather to watch the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games on the banks of the Seine—while another 1.5 billion people tune in from home—a spectacle art-directed by Thomas Jolly. A few months ago, Vogue interviewed Jolly, an actor and theater director known in France for his spirited adaptations of Shakespeare, to discuss the nearly two years of his life devoted to this year’s Games.
As we approach the final countdown to Paris 2024, Jolly shares what we can expect on July 26—while also tipping his hat to a long list of collaborators. These include the Prix Goncourt-winning novelist Leïla Slimani, screenwriter Fanny Herrero (of Call My Agent! fame), historian Patrick Boucheron, and playwright Damien Gabriac, a close friend and collaborator of Jolly’s. Also central to the production are composer Victor Le Masne, choreographer Maud Le Pladec, stylist Daphné Burki, and production designers Emmanuelle Fabre and Bruno.
Below, Jolly discusses the various components of next Friday’s procession, the moment he is most looking forward to, and his two great wishes for people following along—wherever in the world they may be. This conversation has been translated from French.
Vogue: For the first time ever, the Olympics opening ceremony is leaving the stadium setting. [Athletes from each competing nation will process down the Seine on boats.] That’s a significant challenge, isn’t it?
Thomas Jolly: Especially since I have taken the liberty to disrupt the established order of the usual ceremony—namely with an artistic segment, a delegation segment, and a protocol segment—and I have decided to interweave them for an evening lasting three hours and 45 minutes, where countries from around the world alternate, parading in a dozen tableaux. Like athletes passing between the Pont d’Austerlitz and the Pont d’Iéna, this grand fresco draws its inspiration from all the historical sites they traverse. And what fabulous inspiration it is!
Which everyone can enjoy since you have chosen to start the ceremony at 7:30 p.m., local time…
Indeed, I am mindful of the ecological impact. Starting the ceremony at this time allows us to make the most of natural light, thus avoiding the use of electric energy for lighting. Moreover, the river is not affected by the artistic works. We studied the areas where the fish spawn to avoid disturbing their natural habitats. Nothing falls into the Seine. Everything is respectful of the environment in which we are set. It was decided to invest in the monuments, the bridges, the history, the facades, the quays... And these places are brought to life by around 3,000 artists from all disciplines: dance, circus, music, acrobatics, comedy... I call this ceremony la grande célébration de notre humanité partagée—the grand celebration of our shared humanity!
A humanity that is constantly challenged and in need of comfort?
Absolutely. Every four years, the Olympic Games provide a snapshot of the world, as the entire world watches. It’s the only event on the planet that is followed to such an extent. It’s also a moment to celebrate this shared humanity with its joys, playfulness, and unifying aspects, but also to confront our concerns related to conflicts and various scourges, whether ecological or warfare-related. Olympism is also based on values of peace, notably the Olympic Truce, which is very important in the history of the Olympic Games.
The night of the opening ceremony, the Olympic audience will be dazzlingly diverse in age, origin, and social class...
With the writers, we wanted to work on the idea of a great “we.” We are a multitude, coming from diverse places, growing up in different ways, with distinct cultural contributions, but we form a great whole. And that night is when we must celebrate it. Just as France must uphold its three cardinal values: liberty, equality, fraternity.
For you, what is the greatest challenge of this ceremony?
What a delight it is to see the sets and costumes emerge from the workshops, to see these artists meeting, creating, and collaborating. Our challenge in the next 10 days is to successfully assemble these 100,000 pieces of a giant puzzle in a very short amount of time. Despite all our preparations, we must remember that, in order to maintain its confidentiality, this ceremony will never be fully rehearsed. The goal is for everyone to discover the spectacle simultaneously! For someone like me, who is used to dress rehearsals, this type of approach is entirely new...
Is that what one might call a balancing act?
Completely. That’s what makes it so thrilling, in both the creation of concepts and processes... This ceremony is pioneering with no model to follow, placing us in a realm of absolute creation. It’s impossible to get bored! Moreover, the spectators present that night along the river will be spread out over six kilometers. No one will see the same thing at the same time, so each person will experience a different ceremony. To achieve this, I have been working on the storyboard for the broadcast for over a year. It was necessary not only to design the spectacle, but also consider how it would be received, whether one is in Venezuela or sitting on the banks of the Seine.
During this ceremony, what moment are you most looking forward to experiencing?
It will be very moving to see the first boat pass under the Pont d’Austerlitz, when the athletes enter Paris. They are the main focus of the ceremony. And I am eagerly awaiting the lighting of the cauldron, as it will signify the start of the Olympic Games! After 18 months of designing and advocating for this production, facing budgetary, weather, and bureaucratic constraints, I will be happy to finally share it.
What would you like the spectators to feel during this ceremony?
On one hand, surprise. For months, there have been many rumors circulating about this ceremony. But I absolutely wanted to preserve the emotion of discovery, and so far, we have succeeded.
On the other hand, love. Love for oneself and for others. Our diversity and our coexistence are to be celebrated... especially after the recent French elections, a difficult time during which speeches contrary to the ideas of hospitality and kindness, which are Olympic values, were uttered. Reminding ourselves that we love each other will be comforting. And in France, we know how to express love through songs, poems, books, plays, films... Let’s not forget that Paris is the capital of love!