Antonio Rebollo shoots a flaming arrow to light the Olympic Cauldron in Barcelona 1992
Olympic Ceremony Recordsitalics indicate records at the time
- First Olympic Cauldron Not Ignited by Hand-delivered Torch
- First Olympic Cauldron Ignited by Archer* (remote control ignition of cauldron)
- Last Release of Live Birds
- First to Use a Floor Covering
- First to Cover Stadium Floor with Olympic Flag
- Most Nations Participating (170) - previous Seoul 1988 (160)
- Most Olympic Events (286) - previous Seoul 1988 (263)
- Most Athletes Participating (9,356) - previous Seoul 1988 (8,391)
- First Olympic Cauldron Not Ignited by Hand-delivered Torch
- First Olympic Cauldron Ignited by Archer* (remote control ignition of cauldron)
- Most Torchbearers - 9,484 (previous Moscow 1980 - 6,200)
Opening Ceremony Estadi Olimpic de Monjuic (60,000)
July 25, 1992
Complete Video
(viewer's guide below in Ceremony Highlights)
Official Report
(hundreds of amazing photos including a time-lapsed view of the cauldron lighting; click the black arrow for larger view)
Opening Ceremony Highlights
The most important Olympic Ceremony in history may ultimately be the one that the future ceremonies would compare themselves to. No ceremony is currently as revered for their innovation and artistic power as the 1992 Barcelona games. This ceremony was enormous in scale, brilliant in artistry and music, and certainly laid the way for the cauldron lighting to become one of the greatest and most anticipated events in the world.
- Opening
- "Hola" - dancers form the words
- Olympic Fanfare
- King of Spain and dignitaries arrive
- National Anthem
- Jet flyover
- Welcome (10:30)
- Folk dances; songs performed by opera legends Jose Carreras & Montserrat Caballe
- Olympic Rings formed
- 1,500 doves released
- Land of Passion (19:30)
- Folk dances; song performed by opera legend Placido Domingo
- Horse rider/Flemenco dance; song performed by opera legend Alfredo Kraus
- The Mediterranean (32:30)
- Herakles runs to the end of the earth
- Herakles separates the heaven and earth
- Herakles creates civilization/the Mediterranean
- Herakles guides a boat through the treacherous sea, fighting sea monsters
- Boat gets caught in a storm, but is guided to land by a rainbow, founding the city of Barcelona
- The Parade of Nations (53:30)
- King of Spain declares the games open (1:18:30)
- Olympic Flag enters the stadium and is raised to the Olympic Hymn performed by opera legend Alfredo Kraus (1:19:30)
- Runners enter the stadium from every host site of the previous 24 Olympic Games and the current from Barcelona; all carry flags
- Olympic Torch enters the stadium; cauldron is lit by a Paralympic archer, Antonio Rebollo (1:33:45)
- Athlete's and Judge's Oaths
- Official Song "Friends for Life" by Andrew Lloyd Webber performed as a giant Olympic Flag covers the athletes on the stadium floor
- Human Pyramid demonstration
- Opera recital by Jaume Aragall, Teresa Berganza, Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Joan Pons (1:47:30)
- "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Mvt. 4 with fireworks
Photos
Gold Medal from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
Torch from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
Official Poster of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
Olympic Cauldron from the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
OLYMPIC CEREMONY DATABASE 1896 - 1900 - 1904 - 1906 - 1908 - 1912 - 1916 - 1920 - 1924 - 1928 - 1932 - 1936 - 1940 - 1944 - 1948 - 1952 - 1956 Equestrian - 1956 - 1960 - 1964 - 1968 - 1972 - 1976 - 1980 - 1984 - 1988 - 1992
