Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony – Full Length on YouTube
The opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday, 15 September 2000 in Stadium Australia, Sydney, during which the Games were formally opened by then-Governor-General Sir William Deane.[1][3][2][4] 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. Veteran ceremonies director Ric Birch was the Director of Ceremonies[5] while David Atkins was the Artistic Director and Producer.[6] Its artistic section highlighted several aspects of Australian culture and history, showing Australia's flora and fauna, technology, multiculturalism, and the hopeful moment of reconciliation towards Aboriginal Australians.[5][7] The ceremony had a cast of 12,687 performers,[8] seen by a stadium audience of around 110,000.[7]
The ceremony began at 19:00 AEDT and lasted over four-and-a-half hours.[7] Around 3.7 billion viewers worldwide watched the ceremony on TV.[4]
The ceremony was described by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Juan Antonio Samaranch as the most beautiful ceremony the world had ever seen.[5][9] Consistent with normal major production management, the music was pre-recorded under studio conditions to ensure its quality.[10]
The stadium's French-language announcer was Pascale Ledeur, while the English-language announcer was Australian actor John Stanton.
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^ abcBarkham, Patrick (15 September 2000). "Sydney launches Games with wit, flair and symbolism | Special reports | guardian.co.uk". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
^ ab"Australian Stars to Shine at Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony". Sportcal. SOCOG Press Release. 9 August 2000. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
^ abc"Friday 15 September 2000 — MELBOURNE". Television.AU. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
^ ab"Sydney 2000 Relived: Opening Ceremony, 15 September 2000". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
^ abcPirrie, Michael (15 September 2020). "The Opinionist: Olympic Movement Celebrates Sydney's 'Once & Future' Olympic Games". Around The Rings. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^Hilbig, Allison (16 February 2017). "David Atkins' White Night Vision". Theatrepeople. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
^ abcLongman, Jere (16 September 2000). "SYDNEY 2000: THE OVERVIEW; Games Open With Ceremony and Tribute". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
^"Post-Opening Ceremony Ric Birch Interview". YouTube. The Opening Ceremony Of The 2000 Olympic Games: A Sydney Celebration. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021.
^Williams, Sue (17 September 2000). "We're riding so high and mighty". The Sun Herald.
^Jinman, Richard (26 August 2008). "Revealed: Sydney Olympics faked it too". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
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