1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony 1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympics took place in the evening on Friday 19 July in the Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, United States. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation’s culture and history. The Olympic cauldron was lit by former gold medalist and boxing champion Muhammad Ali. The ceremony features Award-winning and Grammy Award-time nominated film composer, John Williams, French
2014 Asian Games opening ceremony of the people selected to carry the Asiad torch that lighted the Olympic fire that burning throughout the entire performance. Prestigious musical guests were invited to perform for the opening ceremony also, including world-renowned soprano Sumi Jo, and pop stars JYJ and Psy. The ceremony closed with words from Park Geun-hye, the president of South Korea, proclaiming that the 17th Asian Games have officially started, marking the beginning of the 19-day sports diplomacy that will hopefully spark peace and cooperation throughout Asia. 2014 Asian Games opening ceremony The 2014 Asian Games opening ceremony was held on Friday, 19 September 2014.