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Paris Marks First Anniversary of 2024 Olympics With Seine Parades and Festival Events

A full-day Seine festival revives Olympic symbols to highlight the Games’ enduring impact as sports officials press back on funding cuts.

Overview

  • More than 100 kayaks, rowboats, paddleboards and dragon boats descended the Seine from Bercy to Port des Saints-Pères in the morning parade.
  • Ten statues of notable women—such as Gisèle Halimi, Simone Veil and Simone de Beauvoir—were officially inaugurated on rue de la Chapelle in the 18th arrondissement.
  • Hundreds of volunteers reunited for a giant picnic at Place Stalingrad followed by a 50-flagbearer parade from Stade Émile-Anthoine to the Eiffel Tower and a bateau-mouche cruise.
  • The Olympic cauldron at the Tuileries Gardens was reinstalled in June and now lifts nightly, weather permitting, through September 14.
  • At a ceremony in the Grand Palais, officials including Tony Estanguet and Marie Barsacq criticized a proposed 17.6% cut to France’s 2026 youth and sports budget.