--- description: Amid the extravagant Paris Olympics opening ceremony, viewers noticed an error in the proceedings. title: Viewers Spot an Error During the Paris Olympics Opening Show image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltec97721f5e778506/698a59589d83e8274db9a5d9/GettyImages-2163851270.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2024 Paris Olympics](/tag/2024-paris-olympics/) ## 2024 Paris Olympics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Viewers Spot an Error During the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. Did You Notice It?  by [Rebecca Schneid](/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 27, 2024 1:30 PM CUT  A view of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024. A view of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024.Kevin Voigt—Getty Images  by [Rebecca Schneid](/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Reporter Jul 27, 2024 1:30 PM CUT The [Paris Summer Olympics opening ceremony](https://time.com/7004283/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-seine/ "undefined") has already garnered much attention, from a [freshly-decapitated Marie Antoinette](https://time.com/7004287/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-weird-moments/ "undefined")—who was still singing—to an emotional performance by Celine Dion. Add in the rain pouring down on the City of Lights, and the event was by most accounts unconventional. Yet, there was another aspect of the opening ceremony that caught the attention of viewers, with many heading to social media to point it out. When the Olympic flag—holding the iconic image of five multicolored rings overlapping one another—was raised, it was revealed to be hung upside down. In its correct configuration, the Olympic flag should show three rings—blue, black, and red— on the top and two rings—yellow and green—on the bottom. As members of the French military hoisted the Olympic flag to conclude the opening ceremony, it dramatically unfurled from their arms to show the two rings on top instead. **Read More**: [_The Olympics Opening Ceremony Was a Weird, Wonderful, Extremely French Love Letter to Paris_](https://time.com/7004249/olympics-opening-ceremony-2024-review/ "undefined") On X (formerly Twitter), onlookers reacted to the mistake, some seeing it as a simple error, while others argued that it was "embarrassing." > [](https://twitter.com/Rulaelhalabi/status/1816948512208085310) > [](https://twitter.com/jaworskijp/status/1816935236325748820) > [](https://twitter.com/justinc%5F99/status/1816934967504499023) > [](https://twitter.com/Geeta%5FMohan/status/1817029458865381725/) Interestingly, an upside down flag was at one point an [apolitical gesture by sailors to signal distress.](https://www.npr.org/2024/06/03/nx-s1-4987590/upside-down-american-flag-protest-symbol-history "undefined") In the United States, though, flying the American flag upside down has evolved into a[ form of protest](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/17/us/upside-down-american-flag-alito.html "undefined") for some on different sides of the political spectrum. **Read More**:[_What It Was Like on the Seine During the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony_](https://time.com/7004283/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-seine/ "undefined") Though the rain and the flag mishap brought on some frustration, [spirits were high](https://time.com/7004283/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-seine/ "undefined") on the Seine in Paris, as onlookers enjoyed their first truly festive opening ceremony since the Pyeongchang Winter Games in 2018, with the COVID-19 pandemic keeping fans away from ceremonies at the last two Olympic Games. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7004336/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-error-spotted-flag-upside-down/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7004336/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-error-spotted-flag-upside-down/"},"headline":"Viewers Spot an Error During the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. 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