The long awaited Rio 2016 Olympics have begun with a dazzling lights display at the famous Maracana Stadium.

Rio 2016 opening ceremony

Rio 2016 opening ceremony

The theme of the Rio 2016 opening ceremony is 'do more with less'. And with just a fraction of the budget enjoyed by Beijing and London before it, Rio's extravaganza has taken a more austere, but still dazzling tone.

Starting with a promotional video showing aerial shots of various sports being played across Rio, dancers decked in silver costumes and sheets took center stage at Maracana Stadium for a drawn-out countdown.

With the Brazilian flag raised and the Olympic officials acknowledged, the ceremony kicked off with crews guiding giant structures across a sandy plain, representing the creation of Brazil.


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By Madhura Seneviratne
Source: SBS News

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