Euro 2016 opening ceremony: Paris' Stade de France holds party ahead of European Championship before the hosts face Romania
- France face Romania in the first game of their host European Championship tournament in Paris on Friday evening
- The country's national football stadium, the Stade de France, held an opening ceremony party beforehand
- The setting for the showpiece which spanned the pitch was a French garden with a carousel as its centrepiece
- Colourful, costumed dancers performed a high-energy can-can dance, before DJ David Guetta, 48, emerged
- Guetta brought out Zara Larsson to perform their joint track 'This One's For You' - the official song of the Euros
France's national football stadium, the Stade de France, hosted an opening ceremony party ahead of the start of the European Championship before Didier Deschamps' side beat Romania in dramatic fashion.
The setting for the showpiece was a French garden with a carousel, and costumed dancers performed a high-energy can-can dance popular in French cabaret to this day.
An up-tempo version of Edith Piaf's 'La Vie en rose' then played out before 48-year-old French DJ David Guetta took centre stage playing a collection of songs including The Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling,' and his own singles 'Play Hard,' featuring American artists Ne-Yo and Akon, and 'Titanium' featuring Australian singer, Sia.
The Patrouille Acrobatique de France fly over the Stade de France during the European Championship opening ceremony party
A general view during the opening ceremony prior to the UEFA Euro 2016 Group A match between France and Romania on Friday
France and Romania's players line up before their game at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris
A myriad of colourful, costumed dancers perform a high-energy can-can dance popular in French cabaret to this day
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony - the setting for the showpiece was a French garden with a carousel as its centrepiece
French DJ David Guetta took centre stage playing a collection of songs including The Black Eyed Peas' 'I Gotta Feeling'
Guetta then brought out 18-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson to perform their joint track 'This One's For You'
Guetta then brought out 18-year-old Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson to perform their joint track 'This One's For You' - the official song of the tournament.
The joyful nature of the opening ceremony stood in stark contrast to the scenes outside the ground towards the end of 2015.
On November 13, three suicide bombers struck near the ground in Saint-Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris, followed by suicide bombings and mass shootings at cafes, restaurants and a music venue in central Paris, claiming 130 victims.
Guetta also played his own songs 'Play Hard,' featuring American artists Ne-Yo and Akon, and 'Titanium' featuring Australian singer, Sia
The dancers - wearing vibrant orange, red, pink, purple and blue garments - seemed delighted to take part in the celebration
French police stand in the wings prior to the start of the Euro 2016 group A football match between France and Romania
But on Friday, France's capital city showed its intent to put the atrocities behind them as the colourful ceremony captured the mood of festival ahead of the four weeks of tournament ahead.
The competition could not have got underway in a much better fashion. Olivier Giroud scored a headed opener for France but it was cancelled out through a Romania penalty.
West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet was the hero of the day, ensuring those fans who had travelled to the Stade de France would return home with the same smiles on their faces that the opening ceremony attempted to inspire. With only a minute remaining in the game, Payet scored a sensational goal from outside the area to secure three points for France.
A general view as the teams warm up ahead of the crunch clash - France are captained by Hugo Lloris and Romania by Vlad Chiriches
A French supporter enjoys the atmosphere prior to the football beginning - the Gallic rooster is the symbol of the France national team
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3635857/Euro-2016-opening-ceremony-Paris-Stade-France-holds-party-ahead-European-Championship-hosts-face-Romania.html#ixzz4BGweIKgm
