‘Papa Smurf’ and flaming pianos – strangest moments of Paris Olympics opening ceremony

The Olympic Games will get under way on Saturday morning following Friday night’s opening ceremony in Paris.

Among the raindrops that fell on the athletes and dignitaries, there were dancers and performers on the boulevards, River Seine and, at times, perched on the side of buildings. Here, Telegraph Sport relives some of the strangest moments from the night.

The Smurf

A giant cloche was raised to reveal a fruit salad topped by a near-naked man covered in blue paint, sporting a bright orange beard and wearing a fruit headdress and sash. Looking like some kind of deranged Smurf, he then began to sing. According to BBC commentator Hazel Irvine, the man, singer-songwriter Philippe Katerine, was meant to be portraying Greek god Dionysus. It was an image that will remain seared into the memories of all who saw it.

A piano on fire

Singer Juliette Armanet and pianist Sofiane Pamart’s water-borne performance of John Lennon’s Imagine – a song with the line ‘Imagine there’s no countries’ sung after every nation in the world had sailed past – was completely overshadowed by Pamart’s piano being set on fire for no apparent reason.

While all around lose their head

A dramatic performance by heavy metal band Gojira at a former prison, the Conciergerie, was preceded by a clip of a beheaded Marie Antoinette, who had been imprisoned there, singing to the crowd. Brian May on the roof of Buckingham Palace it was not, although it was considered one of the highlights of the early part of the ceremony.

Big boats and small boats

A strange mix of boats, with some huge and some tiny. Size of athlete delegation was key, though a number of nations shared vessels where possible. A few, though, were in rather smaller boats, with the two-athlete Solomon Islands given their own. Indeed, it was so small it risked sparking fears it could capsize in the Paris downpour.

Madness of Minions

It was not only celebrities and athletes who took centre stage but animated film stars, too. At one point, the ceremony cut to a submarine packed with Minions trying out various Olympic sports. Throwing sharp objects on an underwater vessel is not very sensible, though. The javelin punctured holes and the submarine duly flooded.

The faceless horsewoman

It almost seemed a nod to Star Wars, in terms of the outfit, but the oddly-armoured and faceless flag-bearer had her moment when she rode a mechanised horse down the Seine, with the Olympic flag as a cape. She then switched to a real horse, dismounted, then walked for what seemed an age to deliver a second Olympic flag for the hoisting ceremony. The rider, Floriane Issert, is a non-commissioned officer in the Gendarmerie Nationale. She was apparently meant to represent Sequana, the goddess of the River Seine in the Gallo-Roman religion.

An unexpected threesome

The Bibliotheque National – France’s national library – was the setting for another surprising scene. Yes, it featured famous French books, but also a threesome – or, should we say, menage a trois. It was during a segment on love – with the Olympics’ official X feed sharing the Victor Hugo quote, “The freedom to love is no less sacred than the freedom to think” – that three young actors became friendly and, as things became more heated, shut the door on viewers. Suggestive!

We almost lost Serena Williams

Unexpectedly, the ceremony returned to the water when Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, Rafael Nadal and Nadia Comaneci carried the Olympic torch back up the Seine on a boat. There was nearly a mishap when they appeared to be buffeted in the rainstorm while passing under a bridge, with Williams briefly looking like she might pass out or be sick and Comaneci grabbing her arm for support. “We nearly lost Serena there,” said BBC commentator Andrew Cotter.

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