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It’s finally Olympics season. After years of planning and eager anticipation, the 2024 Olympics kicked off on Friday in Paris, France. Unfortunately, the opening ceremony wasn’t a hit with fans, as many things went wrong.
What was supposed to be an elaborate celebration of French culture with A-listers like Lady Gaga and Celine Dion performing turned out to be a disaster. From a heavy downpour, delayed train lines, bad audio, and awful performances, all that could go wrong went wrong. There was also the controversy of several performances having themes of satanism, according to Christian viewers. In light of a disappointing opening ceremony, fans chose to go down memory lane. Here are some of their favorite opening ceremonies.
1996 Atlanta Olympics With Muhammad Ali
For many fans, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics ranks at number five. This is thanks to the iconic moment when Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame. The boxing legend was chosen to perform the legendary ritual after an introduction from President Bill Clinton. Ali, who was retired and already had pronounced symptoms of Parkinson’s syndrome, managed to light the flame with his shaking hands. The stadium roared with cheers and claps. Celine Dion also gave an enthralling rendition of The Power of the Dream. It was her first time performing at the Olympics. One fan on X wrote of the moment, “This Olympic is legendary.”
1992 Barcelona Olympics Took Things Up A Notch
The 1992 Olympics didn’t have the biggest music stars performing. However, Spain did the almost impossible during the torch-lighting segment. Usually, someone lights the torch by collecting flame from the last torch bearer. However, that year, archer Antonio Rebollo shot a flaming arrow up in the shy to light up the Olympic Flame in just one take. Many have since described the moment as “the best Cauldron lighting ceremony.” A second fan praised it as “one of the most impressive openings of the Olympic flame,” while another called it “the most Olympic thing ever.”
Queen Elizabeth, James Bond & Mr Bean Dominate London 2012
The 2012 London Olympics will go down as one of the greatest in history. Always known for pomp and pageantry, the United Kingdom pulled out all the stops, even including the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. In a skit that has garnered over 72 million views on YouTube, the late Queen was accompanied by James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, to the opening ceremony. The helicopter ride hilariously ended with Her Majesty flying out of the helicopter with a parachute, just like 007 is known to do. Another highlight of the ceremony was Mr Bean’s humorous performance with the orchestra, brilliantly delivered by actor Rowan Atkinson. It’s also hard to forget the jaw-dropping reunion of the Spice Girls. The beloved girl group performed a thrilling medley of Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life.
The 2004 Athens Ceremony Paid Homage To Origins
Given that the Olympics originated from Greece, it is only right that the 2004 Olympics in Athens come as a close second. Although minimalistic, the Athens opening ceremony paid homage to Olympic values with themes of Heartbeat and Running. Performers were painted white to depict ancient Greek gods in a spectacular display. “It was mesmerizing and very well designed… it represented the culture and the idea beautifully,” one fan gushed about the ceremony. Another comment read, “Remembering the unforgettable Athens 2004 opening ceremony: the elemental approach uniting water and fire, past and present, the moving bodies unveiling millennia of history, the music, visuals, sculptures, Björk’s incredible performance to top it all off. Still have chills.”
The 2008 Beijing Olympics Take The Crown
At the number one spot is none other than the 2008 Beijing Olympics. No one came as prepared as China for the sporting event. Taking things to a whole new level, fans witnessed 2008 people — a tribute to the year — drumming the same beat in the most uniform synchronized pattern. It has been described as “one of the biggest goosebump moments” of the Olympics opening ceremony. Another highlight was Chinese gymnast Li Ning lighting the flame by floating into the air and running across the screen in a legendary manner.
Although the Paris 2024 Olympics were a shambles, fans are grateful for past opening ceremonies, which have blown their minds and continue to do so.
