Six magnificent opening ceremonies for the Olympics

During the Olympics, the host country has the chance to honor the Olympic ideal. A global audience witnesses the host country’s splendor during the opening ceremonies.

The extravagant nature of these events shouldn’t be shocking. These days, they rank among the most ambitious and spectacular productions in history.

These are the top six most memorable Olympic opening ceremonies.

Athens (1896)

In 1896, Athens played home to the first modern Olympics. In comparison to modern standards, the opening ceremony was not as grandiose. Several standard elements from the Olympic opening ceremonies were absent.

There was none this time since the Parade of Nations started in 1908 at the London Games. There was also no cauldron to light because there was no Olympic flame. The organizer brought the cauldron to the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. An athlete did not light it; an employee of the energy company did.

It was still a wonderful occasion. Crown Prince Constantine delivered a speech to the 60,000 spectators at Panathenaic Stadium. There were almost 300 athletes present. After preparation, a choir of more than a thousand individuals sang the Olympic Hymn. The King then formally opened the games.

Tokyo opening ceremonies(1964)

Tokyo, Japan, hosted the 18th Olympic Games in 1964, marking the first time an Asian country held the event.

Spectators around the world watched the opening ceremonies streamed live via satellite. Global viewers participated more than 83000 people within the stadium. After the Parade of Nations, in which 93 nations took part, the organizers sent 8,000 pigeons into the sky. Above the Olympic Rings, fighter planes circled, sending up a cloud of smoke.

The Olympic Cauldron’s illumination, nevertheless, may have been the most poignant sight. Yoshinori Sakai, then nineteen years old, started his climb up the 163 stairs three minutes after noon. He struck the flame three seconds before he arrived to the cauldron. People in Japan believe that three is a lucky number.

He goes by “Hiroshima Baby” for short. On the day Japan was struck by the first atomic bomb, he was born.

Los Angeles opening ceremonies(1984)

Los Angeles is the home base of the American film industry. Hollywood is famous for its talent in delivering a compelling show. It is therefore not surprising that the opening ceremony of the 23rd Olympiad was an extravagant affair.

The primary focus of the festivity was music. John Williams wrote the theme and fanfare for the Olympics. He is well-known for writing soundtracks for hit films like Jaws and Star Wars. Seven hundred marching band members played music representing the many states in the union. Then, eighty-four gorgeous pianos appeared between the stadium’s columns and began to play Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin.

That was the time “rocket man” Bill Suitor, piloting a future Bell Aerosystems rocket pack, flew into the stadium. This was the most amazing moment for a lot of people. He received $1,000 for the act, but no complimentary tickets were provided years after it became public.

Barcelona opening ceremonies(1992)

The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Opening Ceremonies set the precedent for hosting the ceremony in the evening, making them historic. This meant that spectacular light shows and massive fireworks displays were now a regular feature of the opening ceremony.

Huge puppets were part of the show. A large group of drummers emerged from the stands. An enormous wooden sailing vessel fighting mythical sea animals. There was the release of the doves. Paralympic archer Antonio Rebello fired an arrow that ignited and set fire to the Olympic Cauldron. An arrow shot over the Olympic Cauldron caught fire, lighting it.

Freddie Mercury of Queen and Montserrat Caballé recorded an operatic duet of the Barcelona theme song in the evening.

Sydney (2000)

The founders of Sydney designed the opening ceremony to present a visually striking and concise overview of Australia’s history and contemporary culture.

The celebration kicked off with a breathtaking horse show. Numerous horses galloped into the arena, forming the Olympic Rings.

Later on, they transformed the Great Barrier Reef into a stadium. Rivals also altered it to resemble the Outback, featuring fire breathers to represent bushfires. The Neighbours dancers further symbolized the suburbs by cutting the Olympic Rings with lawnmowers.

A technical glitch caused the most dramatic moment. Sprinter Cathy Freeman was meant to light the Olympic Cauldron. There was a four-minute delay, though, as a malfunction stopped the flame from climbing towards the Cauldron. Later in the games, Freeman made Olympic history by being the first Australian Aboriginal person to win an individual gold medal.

Sochi (Winter, 2014)

The Winter Olympics in Sochi are regarded as the most expensive in Olympic history. They are over £30 billion in cost. In contrast, £8.7 billion was spent on the 2012 London Olympics.

Get Lucky by Punk and We Are The Champions by Queen were performed by the Russian Interior Ministry Choir. Numerous pieces by well-known Russian composers, including Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, were included in the musical selections. One of the items was a Swan Lake performance. The dancers resembled floating jellyfish because of their glowing strands of clothing.

Apart from that, 22 tonnes of fireworks were used in the show’s conclusion. With their massive inflatable domes, they illuminated the night sky, symbolizing the architecture of St. Basil’s Cathedral.