Pedestrians walk past the Hotel des Invalides Olympic site surrounded by fences displaying the Olympic rings ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Finishing touches are being applied to the venues across the City of Light and thousands of athletes and officials are pouring in, while the weather has brightened up after months of rain. 

River Seine

The water quality of the river Seine -- which is set to be used for outdoor Olympic swimming events -- has also improved since the start of July. The river is set to host the opening ceremony which will see 6,000-7,000 athletes sail down it on 85 barges and boats.

Commuters walk under the Olympic rings at the Gare de Lyon train station, on July 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

It will be the first time a Summer Olympics has opened outside the main athletics stadium, with up to 300,000 ticketed spectators set to watch from stands and on the river banks and another 200,000 expected to watch from the overlooking apartments.

Tourists take photographs of the Eiffel Tower with the Olympic rings displayed on it, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games

As well as the opening ceremony in the heart of the city, much of the sport is set to take place at temporary venues around Paris, with beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, archery at the Invalides and skateboarding at the Place de la Concorde.

French Police officers stand guard on the Defense square (Place de La Defense) in Paris on July 21, 2024

The vast security operation for the opening ceremony is causing some friction with large parts of central Paris along the banks of the river and around Olympic venues off-limits for most people.  Trade groups representing Paris shops, restaurants, bars and clubs complained on Friday that they were facing an "unprecedented slump in business and footfall", blaming in part the "heavy security measures".

Police officers stand guard near Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 21, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Around 45,000 members of the French security forces are set to be on duty on Friday when the Olympics kick off at 7:30pm (1730 GMT).