One year after the rainy opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, volunteers reunited and friendships were rekindled, while the hot air balloon that carried the cauldron lifted off once again from the Tuileries gardens.

The balloon, created by French designer Matthieu Lehanneur, was used as the Olympic cauldron during the Games. It first lifted off on July 26, 2024 - lit up by French athletes Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec, to culminate the Games' opening ceremony.

Due to popular demand, the balloon was returned to the Tuileries gardens, where since late June, it has been rising into the air at sunset every evening.

Several events marked one year since the Paris 2024 Games, such as an armada of boats on the River Seine, and the projection of the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower.

The Paris 2024 Olympics welcomed more than 6 million visitors in celebration sites across France, and more than 2,000 spectators gathered along the River Seine for the opening ceremony, according to the International Olympic Committee and the local organisers.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 26, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. HOT AIR BALLOON THAT WAS USED AS PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC CAULDRON LIFTING OFF FROM TUILERIES GARDENS, EIFFEL TOWER IN HORIZON

2. PEOPLE APPLAUDING

3. PEOPLE FILMING BALLOON WITH THEIR PHONES

4. WOMAN WATCHING

5. WOMAN FILMING BALLOON, WITH MESSAGE (French): “STOP GENOCIDE IN GAZA” AND LOGO OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

6. WOMAN WATCHING

7. PEOPLE LOOKING AT BALLOON

8. PEOPLE LOOKING AT BALLOON, BEFORE IT LIFTED OFF

9. MAN TAKING PHOTO OF BALLOON WITH HIS PHONE

10. WOMAN TAKING PHOTO OF BALLOON WITH HER PHONE

11. BALLOON’S IMAGE ON PHONE

12. PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER LAMINE ZELLAG HOLDING UP ALGERIAN FLAG/ BALLOON IN AIR

13. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER LAMINE ZELLAG SAYING:

"We marched with the flags, just like last year, and it's always a great pleasure and a great honour. It was very emotional, and it's quite extraordinary to see all the flag bearers back together a year later.”

14. WOMAN WITH PARIS 2024 JACKET AND HAT, WATCHING BALLOON

15. MERRY-GO-ROUND IN TUILERIES GARDENS

16. PEOPLE GATHERED BEFORE BALLOON LIFT-OFF

17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER NANCY DUFFY SAYING:

“It was the most beautiful Olympics of the three that I’ve known - London, Rio I was a volunteer, and then here in Paris. And this was just the most beautiful. And I love the vasque (cauldron) more than anything.”

18. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER, BENEDICTE BOURAS, SAYING:

“In fact what remains are the friendships that we were able to form, which will remain as long as possible I hope, which have no boundaries. I don’t know, what do you think? That's what’s beautiful, actually, what was shared between volunteers, between the public and also the athletes. It was a magical moment, just magical."

19. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS VOLUNTEER, CHANTAL MOUTON, SAYING:

“It was a celebration, really. And then, there was our meeting, everything we were able to do in Bercy (Paralympics venue for wheelchair basketball), welcoming the spectators, with this joy, this pride, but also the pride of being the representative of the country. And voila, my friends (KISSING BOURAS AND DUFFY).”

20. DUFFY, BOURAS AND MOUTON SMILING/ DUFFY SHOWING OLYMPIC MASCOT ‘PHRYGE’ STUFFED TOY

21. EIFFEL TOWER WITH LIGHTS SPARKLING

22. PEOPLE LOOKING AT BALLOON AND EIFFEL TOWER

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) TOURIST FROM MEXICO CITY, CRISTINA LLAMAS, SAYING:

“What I liked the most (in the Paris Olympics) was the opening ceremony with all the different elements on each bridge (over the Seine river). And what I liked the most in the Olympic competitions was the swimming. It was impressive how a millisecond could make a difference to win.”

24. PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND RAILINGS