Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and other famous faces at the opening ceremony

While the rumours that Céline Dion and Lady Gaga would sing together at the Olympics Opening Ceremony were not true, we did get to see performances from both of them individually.

Lady Gaga kicked off the Paris Olympics 2024 along the Seine with a spectacular classic cabaret number in homage to the host country.

Adorned in a cool black Dior feather jacket, a corset and bold red lipstick, the American singer-songwriter emerged through pink feathers held by dancers to hide her identity, keeping the audience in suspense until the right moment. She proudly raised her head high on the mustard-coloured stairs as she welcomed spectators: “Bonsoir, bienvenue à Paris!”

Performing the iconic '60s song Mon Truc en Plumes (My Thing with Feathers) by French ballet dancer and singer Zizi Jeanmaire, Lady Gaga - real name Stefani Germanotta - paid tribute to cabaret.

Taking to social media, the star wrote that she was “humbled” to have been asked to open for the games.

“Although I am not a French artist, I have always felt a very special connection with French people and singing French music—I wanted nothing more than to create a performance that would warm the heart of France, celebrate French art and music, and on such a momentous occasion remind everyone of one of the most magical cities on earth — Paris,” the post read on Instagram.

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As the Olympic Flame was lit, Céline Dion performed a breathtaking rendition of Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne à l’amour, bringing the opening ceremony to a close.

In a striking shimmering white gown, the Canadian singer sang powerfully on the Eiffel Tower, leaving the audience in mesmerised silence before erupting in applause.

The emotional performance moved many people watching online. “This performance will go down [in] history as one of the best [alongside] the one Whitney [Houston] did ... brought us all to tears gave me goosebumps,” commented one user on TikTok.

It’s the first time the superstar has performed live since she was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome in 2022.

The autoimmune neurological disorder is extremely rare, estimated to affect only one in a million people. It causes muscles to progressively stiffen and spasm, creates severe chronic pain and reduces mobility.

Sports legends, pop stars, royals and politicians were among the crowd at the star-laden ceremony.

Ariana Grande arrived in a Thom Brown drop-waisted box pleat baby pink dress with Cynthia Erivo, who wore a bold emerald green dress by Louis Vuitton.

On a boat on the river, tennis superstars Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams interacted with each other as the former carried a torch.

Kiwi rugby legend Dan Carter is also at the sporting event, posting on social media yesterday that it was a “massive honour” to be there.

Emmanuel Macron, Michelle Yeoh, footballer Zinedine Zidane, John Legend, Lebron James and Princess Charlene of Monaco have also been spotted at the international sporting event.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with edits and permission.