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
2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony 2011 Pan American Games opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2011 Pan American Games took place on October 14, 2011, beginning at 20:00 CDT (1:00 UTC, October 15) at Omnilife Stadium in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The opening ceremony was directed and produced by Five Currents, which also produced the ceremonies at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2007 Pan American Games. The opening ceremony was originally scheduled to be held at Jalisco Stadium. However, the organizing committee for the Games (COPAG) changed the venue to Omnilife Stadium, because of its superior infrastructure and technological capability