Talk about a welcome party! On the eve of the Opening Ceremony at this year’s Olympic Games, LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, Comcast NBCUniversal chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, Grammy-winner and Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams, and Anna Wintour are joining forces to welcome a very starry group to the ultimate game night. Dubbed the Prelude to the Olympics, the festivities will take place at the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton and celebrate Paris’s summer of sport.
Adding to the night’s star power is an illustrious group of co-hosts—Charlize Theron, Serena Williams, Rosalía, and Omar Sy—who will hold court (in some cases, quite literally) at the event. Though there will be more than a few Olympians in the crowd (the guest list includes artists, performers, and legendary athletes), the games they’ll find scattered throughout the Fondation’s auditorium aren’t the sort that require any training.
Instead, imagine, if you will, an Olympics-themed Luna Luna dropped into the 16th arrondissement, with interactive installations and sport-inspired amusements (table tennis, foosball, archery, basketball) curated by Pharrell. Fueling the fun will be food by Michelin-starred chef Jean Imbert and cocktails provided by Moët Hennessy.
“It’s an honor for me to co-host this very special event with Anna, Mr. Arnault, and Brian the night before the momentous Opening Ceremony,” Pharrell says. “The Olympics are a celebration of diversity, humanity, and creativity—all of which bring us closer together as one human race. The Olympics are a humbling reminder that there is so much more that unites us than divides us. There is so much beauty in sport, and we will be celebrating this joyous time in a very special way.”
Finally, to mark the occasion, Comcast NBCUniversal will be making a charitable donation to the Olympic Refuge Foundation, supporting both Olympic hopefuls and those athletes competing on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Paris this year. (The 2024 team is made up of 36 people from 11 different countries, representing everything from breaking to wrestling.) How’s that for a show of sportsmanship?