12 hilarious memes from 2024 Olympics opening ceremony: From Minions to headless Marie Antoinette

A spectacle like no other: Paris Olympics opening ceremony provides fodder for hilarious memes

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony was an unforgettable spectacle, filled with quirky moments that quickly became meme gold. The event, held outside the usual stadium setting, featured 205 delegations traveling down the Seine River on 85 barges. The unique ceremony promised by organizers did not disappoint, providing plenty of memorable and meme-worthy moments. Amid the grandeur, fans turned to social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to share their reactions, resulting in a flood of hilarious memes that captured the essence of the ceremony.

1. 'Hunger Games' comparison

On X (formerly Twitter), user Mariona Espin likened the ceremony to the 'Hunger Games' opening, posting, "It giving Hunger Games open ceremony vibes," alongside photos juxtaposing the two events. The comparison highlighted the theatrical and somewhat dystopian feel of the Paris ceremony.

2. 'Assassin's Creed' torchbearer

Another X (formerly Twitter) user, Kelly Knox, pointed out the uncanny resemblance between the torchbearer and the protagonist of 'Assassin's Creed'. She wrote, "Not sure why the Olympics has an Assassin's Creed torchbearer but I dig it." The photo showed the torchbearer running on Paris rooftops in a costume strikingly similar to the Ubisoft game series' main character. 

3. Lady Gaga's indescribable performance

Lady Gaga's performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony left many viewers speechless. X user Aoif captured the sentiment perfectly with a tweet featuring a 'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestant saying, "I don't know what the f**k she's saying but gurl, I am living." They captioned the post, "Lady gaga at the #OpeningCeremony."

4. Minions' unexpected appearance 

Minions made an unexpected appearance during the opening ceremony, much to the delight of fans. X user TechAU posted, "#OpeningCeremony did not have Olympic Minions on the bingo card today," along with photos of Minions getting into the Olympics spirit, as featured during the ceremony. 

5. Piano performance in the rain

The relentless rain didn’t stop the performances of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. X user Shane Reaction humorously noted, "Some people will leave Paris with gold, some will leave with silver, some will leave with bronze, and some with hypothermia," posting a photo of French classical pianist Alexandre Kantorow playing in the pouring rain without any cover.

6. 'Emily In Paris' reference

The opening ceremony’s creative direction reminded user Zara Rahim of the show 'Emily In Paris'. She tweeted, "The creative director of the Paris Opening Ceremonies," with a photo of Lily Collins' character, Emily Cooper, known for her quirky fashion choices.

7. Umbrella lady goes viral

A woman who held the umbrella for Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, turned out to be an unexpected star. Sharing a photo of the duo, X user Francis Keogh wrote, "First gold medal of #Paris2024 goes to the lady holding the umbrella. Flawless performance," celebrating her as a hero of the event.

8. Snoop Dogg's torch relay

X user Weed Porn shared a hilarious edit of Snoop Dogg carrying the Olympic torch. They tweeted, "Fixed it," with a photo of the hip-hop icon carrying a joint instead of the torch, hinting at his love for everything marijuana. 

9. Too many boats

The plethora of boats at the opening ceremony didn’t go unnoticed. X user Shane Reaction penned, "Three minutes into the #Olympics opening ceremony," alongside a 'RuPaul's Drag Race' contestant exclaiming, "I don't wanna see any more f*****g boats." During the Parade of Nations, thousands of athletes floated down a 4-mile (6 km) stretch of the River Seine on 85 boats. 

10. 'Star Wars' reference

X user Octavio Medina found humor in the boat-sharing arrangements of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. He posted, "Portugal sharing the boat with Qatar and North Korea," with an edited 'Star Wars' photo featuring a goofy chicken walking among Darth Vader and his crew.

11. Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse

One of the dramatic elements of the ceremony drew a comparison to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Bible's Book of Revelation. X user Concerned Citizen wrote, "The French Olympic Ceremony just decided to bring out the 4th Horseman of The Apocalypse - 'Death.' You honestly can’t make this s**t up," accompanied by a clip of the galloping metal horse. The horse traveled down the Seine River to deliver the Olympic flag during the opening ceremony.  

12. Headless Marie Antoinette

Perhaps the most bizarre moment of the opening ceremony was the appearance of a headless Marie Antoinette outside the Conciergerie, where the queen was held captive during the French Revolution. X user Shane Reaction remarked, "Give the singing beheaded Marie Antoinette all the medals," with a photo of the surreal moment. The appearance of the headless queen was followed by the performance of Gojira, the first heavy metal band to play at the Olympics.