Paris has kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony.

Widespread travel disruptions triggered by what French officials said were coordinated arson attacks on high-speed rail lines and rains in Paris had dampened the mood ahead of the ceremony’s start on Friday evening.

But as global audiences tuned in, the show’s spectacular launch immediately lifted spirits. Crowds crammed along the River Seine and watching from balconies “oohed” and “aahed” as Olympic teams began parading in boats along the waterway.

In a most grand finale, a hot-air balloon brought an Olympic ring of fire into a rainy sky and singer Celine Dion belted from the Eiffel Tower as Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century.

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