The best 2016 Olympic opening ceremony photos

Everyone expected the show to be based on Brazil’s culture; the event was filled with samba music mixed with more modern rhythms that made this a spectacular show. The various performances showcased the diverse and rich Brazilian culture.

The Estádio Mário Filho better known as Maracanã was chosen as the venue for the opening ceremony.  More than 78,000 people attended the event; their usual capacity was reduced because an area was intended to locate the Olympic flame. Thousands of people enjoyed the show which was broadcasted live.

The show was inspired by the Amazon rainforest which is considered the largest forest in the world. It was also based on the fact that Brazil is a country where millions of immigrants have entered the country and all the different cultures have made it a rich and interesting country.

During the opening show, there was an exhibition of geometric art along with a performance that emulated the beginning of life and the first inhabitants of the Brazilian jungle. All this was shown on a large screen and it was created by artist Athos Bulcão.

The 78,000 spectators were more than pleased and excited about the show, everyone cheered and felt really excited throughout the ceremony. A very interesting fact is that over 6000 volunteers danced in the event.

This is the first time Rio is chosen to host the Olympic Games, this is also the first time they are held in South America. The first Latin American country chosen to host the Olympic Games was Mexico in 1968; it is also the first time that an Olympic event is held in a Portuguese-speaking country.

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was one of the biggest television events of the year. The long-awaited event was seen by 4 billion viewers worldwide that were delighted with the most creative performances.

The Olympic flame stays lit in a very interesting way. According to mentalfloss.com, “The Olympic torch is reignited months before each new cycle of the games in a ceremony in Ancient Olympia, Greece. Once the flame is reestablished, it’s up to thousands of torchbearers to ensure that it makes it to its final destination safely; this year, 12,000 torchbearers have carried the torch more than 12,000 miles by road and 10,000 by air to make it to Rio de Janeiro.”

The show started with an aerial video of Rio de Janeiro, followed by a countdown that ended with the national anthem of Brazil, performed by the legendary musician Paulinho da Viola who gave an emotional touch to the whole act.

Thousands of famous athletes worldwide were the highlights of their national teams. The Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal was in charge of leading the Spanish team. Andy Murray was the British flag bearer and swimmer Michael Phelps was the one leading out the American team.

In Brazil, you can’t think of a major event without the famous "Girl from Ipanema" bossa nova song inspired by Heloisa Eneida Menezes. In the ceremony, the one in charge of representing the girl from Ipanema was supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who walked the massive runway in a beautiful gown designed by Alexandre Herchcovitch.

After the amazing artistic show was held, the parade of athletes began. As usual, Greece was the first country to enter the arena and the Brazilian team was the one in charge of closing the parade; there was also a group of 10 refugees who participated for the first time in the Olympic Games.

One of the most emotional moments of the event was the entrance of the refugee team; the International Olympic Committee decided to choose five to ten refugees to compete in the Olympics. Some of the first athletes considered as potential competitors were Yusra Mardini, Raheleh Asemani, and Popole Misenga.

Since one of Brazil’s most famous traditions is the carnival. The spectators enjoyed a bit of samba music. Another interesting fact about the Olympics is that they tried to organize the event on a low budget; only 10% of the total budget for the ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics was used in this opening ceremony.

At the end of the opening ceremony, a short speech about the dramatic climate change was delivered and during this segment they showed the effects of melting icecaps and subsequent rising sea level in cities like Florida, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro.

Hours before the opening ceremony, many Brazilians took to the streets to protest against the government for all the money spent on the Olympic Games. Protesters claimed that all the money needs to be invested in better schools, hospitals and free access to education.

All those who were lucky enough to be part of this event did not miss the chance to take at least one selfie, this has been one of the most impressive opening ceremonies due to the richness of Brazilian culture and how they managed to represent it in the shows performed by more than 6,000 artists.

Rio de Janeiro is undoubtedly a beautiful city, but there a whole different side that not many people know about. There are hundreds of “favelas” or slums which look down upon the Maracanã stadium.