SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

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

1 min read

Published

Updated

By Madhura Seneviratne

Source: SBS News



Skip to article content

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.


Follow SBS Sinhala

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now