The Paris Olympics are officially underway, and Lady Gaga lit the event’s musical torch with a rousing performance on the River Seine at the opening ceremony Friday.
Gaga brought high-level camp to the River Seine, kicking off her appearance with a performance of the French song “Mon Truc En Plume” by Zizi Jeanmaire. The singer emerged from a cluster of pink feathers, dancing on a gold staircase in a chic black ensemble. Her performance channeled Jeanmaire’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in January 1965. Gaga was backed by a full band — including an enthusiastic horn section — plus a full crew of dancers.
And in true Gaga fashion — literally — she used a minor costume change to note a change in the set. As she moved to sit at the piano, the band paused for a moment while she played. When her dancers came back over, their pink feather shields covered her for a moment before she re-emerged, wearing a back piece covered in a poof of white feathers.
Gaga shared her gratitude for performing at the Olympics on an X post on Friday, saying the moment with the Jeanmarie track was full-circle since Jeanmarie starred in Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” Gaga’s first jazz release.
“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,” Gaga wrote.
Gaga also shared that they rented pom poms from the cabaret theater Le Lido, collaborated with Dior for custom costumes, and used naturally molted feathers for her looks. “I studied French choreography that put a modern twist on a French classic,” she wrote. “I rehearsed tirelessly to study a joyful French dance, brushing up on some old skills—I bet you didn’t know I used to dance at a 60’s French party on the lower east side when I was first starting out!”
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I feel so completely grateful to have been asked to open the Paris @Olympics 2024 this year. I am also humbled to be asked by the Olympics organizing committee to sing such a special French song—a song to honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and… pic.twitter.com/FMNyiosHUR
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) July 26, 2024
“I hope you love this performance as much as I do. And to everyone in France, thank you so much for welcoming me to your country to sing in honor of you—it’s a gift I’ll never forget!” Gaga wrote. “Congratulations to all the athletes who are competing in this year’s Olympic Games! It is my supreme honor to sing for you and cheer you on!! Watching the Olympic Games always makes me cry! Your talent is unimaginable. Let the games begin!”
Gaga’s appearance comes after the singer began teasing her upcoming musical era. “Just me in the studio—happy as ever making music,” she wrote on Instagram earlier this month. “Feel so grateful, heart is peaceful. It’s like meditation. I can’t wait for you to hear what I’m working on.” At the premiere of her concert film Gaga Chromatica Ball, she described the music as being “nothing like anything that I’ve ever made before.” Her most recent album, Chromatica, arrived in 2020.
The musician recently wrapped a brief run of shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas. The performances were part of a revival of Gaga’s Jazz and Piano show celebrating jazz standards and tracks from the Great American songbook.
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The 2024 Summer Olympics will run from July 26 through Aug. 11. Events including gymnastics, soccer, tennis, basketball, breaking, kayak cross, surfing, skateboarding, and more will air live on NBC and are available to stream on Peacock.
This story was updated at 3:50 p.m. ET to include Gaga’s post about the performance.
