Lady Gaga sang a French cabaret song near Notre-Dame cathedral, a giant plume of blue, white and red smoke was sent high above a bridge over the Seine and a winged man played accordion as the Olympics' opening ceremony got under way in Paris on Friday.
A fleet of barges started taking athletes on a 6 km-stretch of the river, by some of the French capital's most famous landmarks, as Lady Gaga, surrounded by dancers, sang "Mon truc en plumes" (My thing made of feathers).
Huge applause rang out for the Greek boat -- the first one, by tradition -- and even bigger cheers erupted for the boat that followed, carrying a team made of refugees.
Water fountains threw up jets of water in the middle of the Seine as the boats went by, with athletes waving at the crowds, amid a huge visible police presence.
500 dancers performed around the Pont Notre-Dame and Paris City Hall.
80 artists from the Moulin Rouge performed the iconic dance that dates back to the 1820s. 'Their pink costumes specifically designed for the #OpeningCeremony,' a tweet on the Olympic Games handle informed.
The ceremony comes just hours after a sabotage attack on the high-speed TGV rail network caused travel chaos across France and put the spotlight on the security risks at a time when all eyes are on the country.
The show started by depicting a fictional scenario in which the arrival of the Olympic flame goes awry, ahead of the extravagant show on the river that will kick off the summer Games.
French soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane was shown running across Paris to bring the flame, in a pre-recorded video that included him taking it onto the metro.
Spectators were treated to postcard-like depictions of France and a huge cancan line performed by Moulin Rouge cabaret dancers on the banks.
"We are super excited, it happens once in a lifetime," 17-year-old Elise Boukorrass said.
It had been raining on and off earlier in the evening in Paris and weather forecasters have predicted heavy showers, with one meteorologist even calling it a "disaster" for the open-air ceremony.
"The rain won't stop me from cheering on the Olympics - sport is everything to me and I'd do whatever it takes to watch this," said Flavia Merluzzi, 20, an architecture student.
Details have been kept secret, including who will be the last to carry the torch and light the Olympic cauldron to mark the start of the Games. The torchbearer - their face hidden and identity concealed - was shown jumping on the roofs of Paris.
Amid rumours that Canadian singer Celine Dion could also be part of the show, spectator Chantal Beauvais said it would be "magical" to watch her.
