Does the Paris 2024 Olympic flame stay lit throughout the Games? Does the balloon remain in the air?

When considering the modern Games, the Olympic flame can be thought of as a manifestation of all of the positive attributes that Man has associated with fire throughout the ages of human history. Whether we refer to the initial exodus from the dark that it brought or all of the by-products that have come since it has been and always will be one of the most powerful influences in human life.

The Olympic flame is ‘eternal’

Before we touch on the dynamics of the Olympic flame, it’s important to touch on the relay that takes place prior to the Games. Indeed, there is great honor and prestige associated with the journey that the Olympic torch takes to its final destination in the stadium.

While it is typically carried by runners on foot, one can imagine that there are some distances that require other forms of transport. By air, for example, the flame is normally sheltered in a security lamp, similar to that used by miners. During the night, it is also maintained in a special cauldron. To be clear, the relay has two prime functions: to announce the coming of the Olympic Games and to transmit a message of peace and friendship along the way.

This of course brings us to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games, the highlight of which is undoubtedly the entrance of the flame into the stadium. As fans would have seen during the ceremony on Friday night, the final torchbearer’s identity was hidden behind a mask as he handed the torch to French football legend Zinedine Zidane. This is in fact a common tradition at the Games with the torchbearer typically waiting until the last possible moment to reveal themselves. On Friday, night that didn’t happen, meaning their identity is still unknown. As for the flame itself, it’s important to know that it stays lit for the duration of the Olympic Games.

OK, but what about the balloon?

It’s been the question on everyone’s mind since it made a stunning flight during the Opening Ceremony on Friday night: What happens with the balloon i.e., will it stay afloat? Now, we’ve got answers. According to organizers, the Olympic cauldron which is attached to the balloon will sit on the ground during the day and rise into the sky every evening. Indeed, organizers have explained that from Saturday onward, the balloon with the cauldron in tow will ascend more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries Gardens from sunset until 2:00 a.m. from its launch site which is close to the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum.

With regards to daytime hours, some 10,000 fans are expected to make use of free tickets to approach the cauldron which is incidentally, the first in history to light up without the use of fossil fuels. If you’re wondering, it uses water and electric light. As per organizers, the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.” It goes without saying that the cauldron is the centerpiece of an effort by organizers to achieve a low-carbon Olympics cutting emissions in half and as established above, “one of the main symbols of the games,” according to Paris organizing chief Tony Estanguet.

“We wanted the cauldron to use a new technology in order to not produce too many emissions,” Estanguet said Saturday. “We were ambitious and we wanted to bring together something spectacular and environmentally responsible at the same time.” Interestingly, the cauldron used during the Summer Games cauldron in the Tuileries will be kept on for usage during the Paralympic Games that Paris will also play host from August 28th to September 8th.