Why Celine Dion and Lady Gaga Are Making $0 for the Olympics Opening Ceremony

The 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony is going down on Friday, July 26 and you can go ahead and consider it unmissable. And not just because it's taking place on the previously (?) poop-filled Seine. Turns out the Olympics secured themselves some truly A-list performances for the big day: Celine Dion and Lady Gaga, who are reported to be performing Édith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose" together.

And in a world where Justin Bieber is getting paid $10 million to show up at pre-wedding events, you might be wondering how much Gaga and Celine are making to kick off the Olympics. Answer? Much like the Seine clean-up project, it's a true journey.

There Are Claims That Celine Dion Is Making $2 Million

TMZ reported this news, writing, "Our sources say she will be paid handsomely" to the tune of $2 million for just "one song." The outlet also said the Olympics is "footing the bill" for the icon's travel (which involves jets, boats, and "other expenses"), with a source noting,
"They're paying a ton of money. Ridiculous amount."

However....

An Olympic Spokesperson Says Celine Isn't Being Paid Anything...Like, at All

After TMZ's report made the rounds, a spokesperson for the Olympics chimed in, telling Page Six that “Contrary to some media reports, the performers at the Paris 2024 Games ceremonies will not receive a fee for their performance. Their decision to perform under these conditions reflects their desire to be part of a historic event for France and for the world of sports.”

The use of "performers"here implies that neither Celine nor Lady Gaga will be paid. However! The Olympics will be covering “technical production” and “costs for the performances, as is customary.”

'Kay, before you totally spiral at the idea of Gaga and Celine not getting theirs....

They Will Make Money...in a Roundabout Way

Just FYI, the Olympics isn't the only major sporting event that doesn't pay up—the Super Bowl is infamous for not paying Halftime Show performers. This is because artists typically experience a massive increase in streams/sales as a result of the Halftime Show functioning as a ~12 minute commercial for their musical catalog. As an NFL spokesperson put it to Forbes: “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”

We have a whole breakdown of how artists make money from the Halftime Show over here, but Lady Gaga's sales increased 1,000 percent after Super Bowl 2017.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why she—or anyone—would be open to doing a free show for a massive audience (wanting to be "part of a historical event aside"!). And we truly mean massive. Like, the Olympics Opening Ceremony viewership makes the Super Bowl's audience look like a party of 1.

Here are some quick facts for ya: Last time Celine Dion played at the Olympic Games in 1996 (where she sang "The Power of the Dream"), it was watched by 3.5 billion people worldwide. The 2024 Super Bowl, meanwhile, was watched by 123.7 million people.

How Can You Watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony?

The Opening Ceremony parade (featuring more than 90 boats) starts at 1:30 p.m. ET and will last around 3 hours. You can watch it on NBC and Peacock, as well as nbcolympics.com and nbc.com. In other words, there are options!

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