Who sang ‘Imagine' at the Paris Opening Ceremony, and why is it performed?

The Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics featured exciting and emotional moments along the Seine, including some things never seen before at an Opening Ceremony — but a song performed at multiple Olympics got a lot of people talking as well.

French singer-songwriter Juliette Armanet's rendition of John Lennon's hit "Imagine" captivated viewers immediately following the Parade of Nations. She was on a craft going down the river accompanied by pianist Sofiane Pamart, whose piano was lit aflame during the performance done in the rain.

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The 1971 song has been performed at the Olympics dating back to 1996, when Stevie Wonder sang the classic during the Closing Ceremony of the Atlanta Games. Since that time, it has become a regular part of the Games.

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Using a remastered version and a choir from Liverpool, Lennon's version of the song was performed during the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Olympics in London. Other artists have covered it at games since then, including John Legend at the Tokyo Olympics (which was via a recording due to the COVID pandemic).