The lighting of the Olympic cauldron is inevitably one of the most dramatic moments of the Opening Ceremony at any Olympic Games. The design of the cauldron is usually kept secret, so that the big reveal is as surprising and awe-inspiring as possible. An iconic Olympian (or several Olympians) from the host nation is given the honor of lighting the cauldron with the Olympic torch.
For the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, the cauldron has taken on one of the most unusual forms in Olympic history. Located in the Jardin des Tuileries, near the Glass Pyramid entrance to the Louvre Museum, the area around the cauldron will be accessible to around 10,000 visitors every day. The cauldron is groundbreaking for many reasons this year. For the first time, the “flames” do not involve fossil fuel combustion but are actually 40 LED spotlights. The cauldron is 100% electric and was created with the help of France’s state-owned electric utility, EDF. With the help of 200 high-pressure misting nozzles, it appears as if the cauldron (which has a diameter of 22 feet, or 7 m) really is burning, even if it’s actually a cloud of water vapor and light.
Those who watched the conclusion of the 4-hour-long Opening Ceremony will have witnessed another incredible innovation of the cauldron. Attached to a 98-foot-tall (30-m) balloon, the lit cauldron rose to a total height of 196 feet (60 m). Organizers say that the cauldron’s flight will be repeated every night throughout the Games, with the cauldron staying aloft from sunset to 2 am. There’s no chance of it flying away, though, as it will remain tethered to the ground.
By placing the “Flying Cauldron” in the Tuileries, Olympic organizers are honoring Parisian contributions to the development of hot air balloons. The Jardin de Tuileries was the location of numerous pioneering balloon flights involving innovators such as the Montgolfier brothers, Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes, and Jacques Charles. As the Opening Ceremony took place around Paris rather than within the confines of a stadium, this was a logical spot for the cauldron.
Tradition meets tech:
- The Olympic cauldron was lit by French Olympic champions Marie-José Pérec (athletics) and Teddy Riner (judo) at the conclusion of the torch relay, which also involved athletes including Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Carl Lewis.
- Tony Estanguet, three-time Olympic champion in canoe slalom and the head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, has described the cauldron as “one of the main symbols of the Games,” so it makes sense that its design aligns with the goal of a low-carbon, low-emissions Olympics.
- “We were ambitious and we wanted to bring together something spectacular and environmental responsibility at the same time,” Estanguet said of the cauldron, which was designed by Mathieu Lehanneur.
- After the conclusion of the Olympics on August 11, the cauldron will once again be used for the Paralympics, held from August 28 to September 8.
