The greatest show on earth kicked off in Rio’s Maracana stadium after midnight, Irish time – and the Brazilians certainly put on a show.
Here’s our quick recap of literally everything that happened during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Before anything even started, this was everyone in our timezone, basically:
Trying to stay awake for the #OpeningCeremony like… pic.twitter.com/99dUmaj2cl
— Her.ie (@Herdotie) August 5, 2016
And as midnight struck, it began!
Here we go! 🇧🇷🎉🇺🇸#OpeningCeremony #TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/W0JidBU5vo
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/stroppadel/status/761696754194579456
Boom! @Rio2016 #olympics #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/0pG6h96Hy8
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 5, 2016
A lot of people thought the first dancers on screen looked like particular kitchen items:
#Rio2016 #OpeningCeremony starts pic.twitter.com/k8v5sGbyNt
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 5, 2016
Are they Dishwasher tablets they're holding up? #OpeningCeremony
— AuditionPianist (@AuditionPianist) August 5, 2016
"Surprising what you can do with a bit of tin foil" – my dad #OpeningCeremony
— Rhys (@_RhysThorne) August 5, 2016
Denise: "so is the olympics sponsored by bacofoil?" #OpeningCeremony
— Dan Ellis (@dgellis0907) August 5, 2016
This Opening Ceremony is brought to you by all the tinfoil #OpeningCeremony
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 5, 2016
And they reminded at least one person of Eurovision…
https://twitter.com/ShakenByAStorm/status/761699676529786881
After the national anthem…
Anyway, here's Wonderwall. #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/uVjUgvMeNf
— Cameron (@Cameron_Surname) August 5, 2016
…we got the segment of the ceremony that “represented the beginnings of life itself”.
Giant bugs and microbes, basically:
We are but one minute in, and already science represented. Microbes FTW! #Rio2016 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/Cn7OO0bIfr
— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) August 5, 2016
…which raised an uncomfortable issue:
https://twitter.com/bens_1989/status/761705924490829824
…leading on to the virtual forest:
Already love the #OpeningCeremony! 😍 pic.twitter.com/zDOWG3TBU9
— Grigor. 🐨 (@Scores_WTA) August 5, 2016
This is basically the worst Cirque du Soleil you've ever seen #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/JF2ztVqyrc
— Ryan Bailey (@RyanJayBailey) August 5, 2016
And elastic bands:
https://twitter.com/efellingham/status/761702231292993536
AND BUMS!
BARE ARSES! WHOO HOOO! #OpeningCeremony
— Rhodri Marsden ⏏️ (@rhodri) August 5, 2016
It was all a bit Avatar-y:
https://twitter.com/toadmeister/status/761701589098852352
This lead on to the arrival of the various people in Brazil through the centuries, starting with the Europeans, and then Africans.
The ceremony didn’t shy away from the role of slavery in Brazil’s past:
watching @NBCOlympics – slavery abolished in Brazil in 1888, last Western country to do so. #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/S0t2WZILxn
— Sarah Betancourt (@sweetadelinevt) August 6, 2016
Or as one wag put it:
https://twitter.com/JonathanRWarner/status/761702808877985792
Then we got the emergence of the cities in Brazil, represented by visual trickery – WITCHCRAFT, one might say – in the stadium:
https://twitter.com/behlul_official/status/761705426903760901
It's SO @sergeylazarev! #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/zlzlKAcaTQ
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/Rio2016_en/status/761704969691074564
#OpeningCeremony employed the same special effects supervisor as Spiceworld, it seems pic.twitter.com/fPN4uSmREC
— Her.ie (@Herdotie) August 5, 2016
We had the funny little flight segment:
It's time for a tour of Rio with this guy
Sit back and enjoy the viewhttps://t.co/VU4WHfqJNT #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/LK1YHaYfn4
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2016
Then we got GISELE walking for bloody ages:
Gisele's just won the Supermodel Competitive Walking 500m #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/NHjoIvTO0P
— Tom Reagan’s Hat (@RufusTSuperfly) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/Tweet_Dec/status/761706393950879744
Followed by “the voice of the favelas”:
Anyone else getting @GetterGJJaani #Eurovision 2011 vibes from the colours and visuals? #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/wi2EvtkCQb
— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) August 5, 2016
Want to feel old? This is Jedward now. #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/k5A2yIPdFD
— メロンソーダ (@kphht) August 5, 2016
There were sound issues on BBC, apparently, but RTE showed them up:
Have just flicked from BBC to RTE2 and the sound improvement is incredible. The BBC's feed is abominable #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016
— Mazzy K (@MazzyK) August 5, 2016
It all certainly looks pretty:
Here are some photos from the #OpeningCeremony so far. pic.twitter.com/V2ohuf2K6Y
— Frank Costa (@feistyfrank) August 5, 2016
What followed was a segment comprising lots of different types of Brazilian dance:
I'm pretty confused by what's going on, but it looks like everyone's having a lot of fun #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/tWjiQC3vWm
— Stephen Eisenhammer ✏️ (@SEisenhammer) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/Hotdesigner/status/761708556534083585
These people are having so much more fun than you or I will ever have. #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/AcYIkyElE9
— Jay Busbee (@jaybusbee) August 5, 2016
No one does a dance party like Brazil. #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/bV6OrsvbNx
— Vulture (@vulture) August 6, 2016
At least the BBC subtitles are accurate #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/FEUdEcX5C4
— TechnicallyRon (On all the platforms) (@TechnicallyRon) August 5, 2016
The main stage eventually cleared and we got some serious/drab stuff about climate change and global warming, narrated by Judi Dench:
THIS IS ACTUALLY JUDI DENCH FOR SOME REASON. NO REALLY. #OpeningCeremony
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/DaftLimmy/status/761710844422066180
We've basically gone from "overhearing a party being held two doors down" to sitting in on a GCSE Biology lesson #OpeningCeremony
— Mike McCahill (@mike_mccahill) August 5, 2016
This #OpeningCeremony is hot.
Literally.
The Earth is very warm, you guys. pic.twitter.com/i31AazMITQ
— BuzzFeed Canada (@BuzzFeedCanada) August 5, 2016
Then it was time for the athletes:
https://twitter.com/Rio2016_en/status/761711319657619458
SO many athletes:
207 teams are represented at #Rio2016
Who will have the wackiest outfits?https://t.co/VU4WHfqJNT #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/zQBXYlt6At
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2016
https://twitter.com/callumfosberry/status/761711292226871296
Brazilian Boris Bikes are ace #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/oBhWxcXn06
— General Boles (@GeneralBoles) August 5, 2016
Leila, Liina & Luik are marathon runners of Estonia the 1st Triplets ever to compete in any Games.#OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/jmIACJvTxN
— Akram Dal (@AKiiDaL) August 6, 2016
HON IRELAND!
#TeamIreland ready to make their big entrance at the #OpeningCeremony 🇮🇪😁 pic.twitter.com/l8mK0u7myQ
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) August 6, 2016
Paddy Barnes leading the way:
Belfast's @paddyb_ireland leads the way for #TeamIreland. #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/3tUMktQAw4
— Barra Best (@barrabest) August 6, 2016
We have arrived! #TeamIreland #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/ZEFrcbOaQs
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) August 6, 2016
The reaction of Irish fans in Rio city centre when @paddyb_ireland emerged w/ the 🇮🇪 flag #Rio2016 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/vMRNXMGPYY
— JOE.ie (@JOEdotie) August 6, 2016
Ireland! But bejesus what's with the uniform 😐 #ire #OpeningCeremony
— Dale Roberts (@ozdale) August 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/JonathanRWarner/status/761727260219015172
Whaeeeeey. Thank God, now I can go to bed. #Ireland #OpeningCeremony
— helen (@JustHelens) August 6, 2016
Andy Murray led Team GB out into the stadium:
Andy Murray leads in #TeamGB ! #OpeningCeremony https://t.co/jRRQ5RD86G pic.twitter.com/PmQaPTc10Y
— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) August 6, 2016
One-handed like a boss #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/YPXvja2iHD
— General Boles (@GeneralBoles) August 6, 2016
https://twitter.com/MarumGo/status/761724373418074112
Looking dapper, Rafa!
And here's a happy @RafaelNadal, carrying the flag for Spain in the #OpeningCeremony. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/Dynhy7fqfD
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016
But, y’know what, as much as we take the piss and moan about how long the ceremony is, a massive global event like this is an incredible thing to behold:
https://twitter.com/MJRgrs/status/761699012923777024
https://twitter.com/ambettano/status/761719065845067776
So much to like about this #OpeningCeremony. Storytelling. Dance. Honesty. Know it was on a budget, but that only makes it more attractive.
— Tom Farrey (@TomFarrey) August 6, 2016
And at least we get to watch the thing without a delay and annoying ad breaks, unlike the poor Americans:
Rest of the world seeing #OpeningCeremony live and commercial-free. Thank goodness we live in the land of the free.
— Tony Ortega (@TonyOrtega94) August 6, 2016
And after all that, we can look forward to Japan’s staging of the Games in 2020:
Tokyo's #OpeningCeremony is going to be amazing pic.twitter.com/sJNNJ0oRir
— General Boles (@GeneralBoles) August 6, 2016
Finally, it got us thinking what an Opening Ceremony would be like if Ireland ever staged the Games.
Quick reminder that Ireland’s #OpeningCeremony would just be 25 minutes of Riverdance followed by the history of Sudocrem
— Her.ie (@Herdotie) August 5, 2016
