Paralympics-Joyful ceremony kickstarts Paris 2024 Paralympics

Paris 2024 Paralympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - August 28, 2024 Performers during the opening ceremony as the Obelisk of Luxor on the Place de la Concorde is seen Pool via REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

PARIS (Reuters) -French president Emmanuel Macron declared the Paralympic Games open on Wednesday after a glorious ceremony in which competitors were celebrated by joyful volunteers and spectators on a sweet summer night.

The event on the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde was the first Paralympics curtain-raiser to be held outside a stadium.