Official Olympic opening ceremony stuns 300,000 spectators in Paris

The Olympic flame has been lit, signalling the official opening of this year’s Olympic games.

The opening ceremony was a spectacle like no other, as athletes from 205 delegations paraded along the Seine River in boats while some 300,000 spectators looked on. 

In the pouring rain, the spectacle featured a number of musical performances from celebrities such as Lady Gaga, and Aya Nakamura.

The ceremony took place amid tightened security in the French capital with a tragic recent history of terrorism. The French government has deployed some 30,000 police officers, 20,000 security guards, and 10,000 military troops as part of a massive effort to ensure safety in the city.

On Friday morning France’s high-speed train lines suffered a number of “malicious” acts including arson and cyber-attacks on Friday, in what has been described as “coordinated sabotage” to disrupt travel ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

Friday's ceremony kickstarted two-and-a-half weeks of games, as the Olympics conclude on 11 August.