JesseSaenz

Seems a little premature to sound the alarm on this TBH. I'm certain the LA organizers will secure enough sponsors, even if they're not traditional Olympic sponsors.

Exactly. Nobody was more let down than those of us in Stade de France. I could have flown to LA instead if I knew it would be live from there 😆

It wasn't terrible. The Tom Cruise bit actually got the stadium going crazy. The shot of the Hollywood sign with the Olympics rings also got the stadium going. Beyond that we were forced to watch a pre recorded video on two small screens at Stade de France. The folks in the beach back in LA got a much better experience than those of us in France. For all the hopes I had for Paris. The opening and closing were a let down. LA already feels more exciting even if the handoff had sound issues. It looked more cinematic than Paris....and LA doesn't have the Eiffel Tower or Grand Palais

This entire Olympics focused too much on TV and little on in person experience. Opening, closing, and handover.

Honestly yes. And still more exciting than what Paris strung together.

While it was a major improvement over the opening ceremony by having it at Stade de France, it was STILLL very underwhelming for being Paris and France. Which is a real pity because I actually had a great seat! The crowd got really excited with the handover to LA and Tom Cruise jumping into the stadium. The Hollywood Olympic rings also got the stadium buzzing. The sound for the performance was terrible and Stade de France's small screens made it hard to get excited about the performances by RHCP, Snoop, and Billie Eilish. The closing gave the impression that they were out of time and out of money. Unfortunately, my favorite thing about it is knowing that its over and that the games are now off to Los Angeles where the world expects at the very least a spectacular opening and closing ceremony. Paris was an excellent host over all. Staging in front of world renowned landmarks will be talked about for generations to come, but in terms of ceremonies, it was very lackluster. LA, PLEASE DON'T MESS THIS UP. Leverage all that cinematic talents and truly elevate the games once again!

Both SoFi and Coliseum are nowhere near hills or brush that may start a wildfire. Yes California has them, but suggesting that they could start smack in the middle of an urban area is kind of silly, no?

That would be a tough sell since they already regularly light it for USC Games and other notable events. If there's a 2nd one at SoFi I just hope it's not boring. Or maybe it will be something completely new and original and instantly iconic. Who knows!?

Just no more city ceremonies unless it's free to spectators. Cause boy did Paris' fall flat. Thankfully it will be remembered for Celine Dion on the Tower. But the rest did not work. The entire thing should have been in one location. I'm willing to bet the closing will be much better and more exciting. Hopefully.

€2,700! Just to see it on a small screen! Those tickets should have been €100 at absolute most. Not even kidding.

I must add that Paris as a host city has been EXCELLENT! 10/10. Everyone seems to know their role from the Metro workers, to security, to volunteers. On this end they deserve all the praise. Merci to the people of Paris!

Which is totally fine. But for the prices it is completely unacceptable. The organizers promised us a show and in the end we were better off watching it at a bar or viewing party indoors. Again, I'm just glad I was a part of a historic day, but unfortunately the opening was a dud for me. Now I'm definitely worried for LA. If Paris with it's plethora of history and culture couldn't make it work, what on Earth is LA going to do!?

And the kicker was the RELENTLESS rain. It seemed to only get worse as the opening went on. Truthfully, I wouldn't have cared if we were given a proper show, but we didn't even get that. I'll get over it soon enough. But man, I hope the French liked it because a lot of us visiting were visibly unsatisfied.

Well the thing is that we weren't even assigned seats until very recently. So it was difficult to know if your seat was even worth the money you paid for it. By far and large the answer was "no" It was great on paper terrible execution. Glad I could be part of a historic day in Paris and one that they worked so hard for, but overall the opening for me was a total let down. I'll be at the closing and hand off. Hopefully having it at Stade de France helps.

A few things. I paid slightly more because I just KNEW some of the outer sections would only see the boats. So I paid to be in Category "A" right where all the main acts are supposed to be. However, you don't get to select your seat! So many of us were tucked in little corners or sections where we couldn't even get a good view of the pathetic little screen. The rain was almost an after thought. The drag queens and last supper bit. My god. I'm not even religious but kept asking "Why!?" Was that necessary? On the biggest platform. Most of the Eiffel Tower was blocked so that really cool laser show wasn't visible by the vast majority of ticket holders. I knew it would be difficult but boy am I completely let down. Keep it in stadiums in a singular location. LA has a lot to learn from this. So many things to avoid. What a shame.

From a spectator perspective I am angry and want a refund. Just plain awful. Once the boats passed we all were glued to a tv screen in the pouring rain. Did we all just fly to Paris for the opening ceremony to WATCH IT ON A TV SCREEN!? L.A. please don't **** it up. PLEASE.

If anyone caught the Kendrick Lamar concert in LA a few days ago for Juneteenth. My god. It was electric. They cannot hold a proper opening/closing in LA without a serious dose of Hip Hop/Rap being a major component.

I don't think during the Summer Olympics is the best time to do it. So many people can get seriously ill.

Thanks!

I have a ticket to the opening ceremony that I am on the fence about selling, however, I don't see the "Sell" option beneath it in the official app. Does anyone else have this problem? Perhaps the OC tickets cannot be resold?

Venus was born in the Lynwood neighborhood of LA which immediately next door to Compton just south of Downtown Los Angeles.

IDK about that, definitely feels like a stretch. LA certainly has its own heavy hitters, especially in the last 20 years. Not to mention the rest of the country's contribution to film/music. Not downplaying London or the UK for a second, but it is not like L.A. will somehow come up short against London, ESPECIALLY, in that category. Of course it also depends on preference. Rock over Rap/Hip Hop? Pop? Because if we went down some of these routes LA easily beats London, many times over.

I agree.

It will be interesting to see what they do with SoFi for the opening. The whole canopy/closed roof debacle is worth noting but not necessarily an end all. It actually creates an opportunity to try something new, especially with a giant oculus in the middle. The filed is so low that you could technically hold a drone show inside the stadium....but who knows if they will even be as popular in 2028 as they are now. It definitely gives me fad vibes and not sure they will still have the wow factor.

All of them Grammy Winners and Kendrick Lamar the recipient of a Pullitzer. I actually attended this event with my brother and his fiance. We were all completely new to NASCAR and we admittedly had our reservations. But let me tell you, this event was a rousing success!!! For starters, the short track meant that you could see every corner from just about any seat in the stadium, something larger tracks cannot achieve. You miss a good part of the action when the track is so big. It also looked amazing against the backdrop of the peristyle with the cauldron lit. The flyover, fireworks, mini concert by Pitbull then Ice Cube.... The whole entire thing was just reeking of success. I don't see NASCAR returning to Daytona for their exhibition race. There's no way they walked away from this thinking it was a failure. There's also of course the wild statistic that about 70% of those in attendance were first timers most of whom gave the event very positive reviews.