A video shared on TikTok claims to depict the “CERN opening,” showing a horse–drawn carriage and people in orange suits marching robotically. 

@miss7sixteen1 I mean whyyyyy would it be celebrated like this?!!!! Seems like a ritual to me!!! Thoughts?!!! #share #cern #april8 #solareclipse2024 #fyp #buffalo #switzerland #cernapril8th #eclipse #nyc #dc #ny #pa #solareclipse ♬ Danger – SoundAudio

Verdict: False

The video is miscaptioned. It actually shows the opening of a tunnel in Switzerland. A CERN spokesperson confirmed via email it is not from their facility.

Fact Check:

The opening ceremony for the upcoming Paris Olympic games is estimated to last about four hours, according to ABC News. A parade of over 10,000 will sail on the Seine river, making the event the first opening ceremony outside of a stadium, the outlet reported.

A TikTok video purports to show a ceremony for the opening of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The video shows a horse–drawn carriage followed by people in orange suits marching robotically.

“This is how they celebrated the CERN opening!!!!” the caption reads. “Today it starts again!!!”

The video was originally posted on YouTube in June 2016. Its description reads, “Celebrations on June 1 2016 marked the opening of the 57 km Gotthard Base Tunnel.” The Gotthard tunnel, located in Switzerland, is the world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel, according to BBC. 

CERN was founded in 1954, according to its website, long before the video was taken in 2016. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show An Illustration On The Floor Of The CERN Lobby?)

“This video is part of the inauguration ceremony from the Gothard tunnel that took place in 2016 and has nothing to do with CERN,” a CERN spokesperson said in email to Check Your Fact. 

This is not the first time misinformation involving CERN has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked an image purportedly showing an illustration of monsters on the facility’s floor.