Opening ceremony: The Olympic entertainment spectacle

The greatest show on Earth If the athletic competitions held at the Olympics are the peacemaking proxy for international conflict, then the opening ceremony is the host country’s demonstration of its global soft power. After the millions, and sometimes billions, spent on building new venues, the next biggest expense for the host country is often the opening ceremony. The extravaganza usually lasts several hours, consisting of elaborate video montages, dance routines, fireworks, and pretty much anything the producers can come up with to stun the audience. One of the most celebrated opening ceremonies of all time occurred during the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, composed by award-winning film director Zhang Yimou (The Great Wall, Hero, House of Flying Daggers). Zhang will return to direct the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Games. However, because of the country’s covid protocols, which have dramatically [reduced the number of attendees](, the event will be scaled down. The number of performers will be capped at 3,000 compared to the 15,000 involved in the 2008 event. The runtime will be [under 100 minutes](, in contrast to [the last Beijing ceremony](, which lasted roughly four and a half hours. In addition, a prominent list of countries have decided to engage in[a diplomatic boycott]( of the Beijing Olympics over human rights issues. The absence of some of the world’s major leaders will cast a shadow on an event already challenged by the health protocols designed to control the spread of the omicron variant of covid-19. Let’s spectate. 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Olympics opening ceremony February 02, 2022 The greatest show on Earth --------------------------------------------------------------- If the athletic competitions held at the Olympics are the peacemaking proxy for international conflict, then the opening ceremony is the host country’s demonstration of its global soft power. After the millions, and sometimes billions, spent on building new venues, the next biggest expense for the host country is often the opening ceremony. The extravaganza usually lasts several hours, consisting of elaborate video montages, dance routines, fireworks, and pretty much anything the producers can come up with to stun the audience. One of the most celebrated opening ceremonies of all time occurred during the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, composed by award-winning film director Zhang Yimou (The Great Wall, Hero, House of Flying Daggers). Zhang will return to direct the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Games. However, because of the country’s covid protocols, which have dramatically [reduced the number of attendees](, the event will be scaled down. The number of performers will be capped at 3,000 compared to the 15,000 involved in the 2008 event. The runtime will be [under 100 minutes](, in contrast to [the last Beijing ceremony](, which lasted roughly four and a half hours. In addition, a prominent list of countries have decided to engage in[a diplomatic boycott]( of the Beijing Olympics over human rights issues. The absence of some of the world’s major leaders will cast a shadow on an event already challenged by the health protocols designed to control the spread of the omicron variant of covid-19. Let’s spectate. 🐦 [Tweet this]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( By the digits [120:]( Horse riders carrying Olympic flags to start the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia [15,000:]( Performers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony [$100 million:]( Opening ceremony cost for the 2008 Beijing Olympics [$40 billion:]( Total cost of the 2008 Beijing Olympics [$1.4 billion:]( TV advertising revenue from the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics [$13 billion:]( Cost of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics Reuters/Adrees Latif Opening character --------------------------------------------------------------- The tradition of the opening ceremony has morphed over the years from a somewhat solemn and stately affair to a full-on entertainment event rivaled only by the [Super Bowl’s halftime show](. And while host countries generally do their best to snag top-tier talent to perform, often it’s the choices made around the non-celebrity aspects of the event that reveals the real character of the country. The Russian Army Choir’s singing of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” in Sochi [in 2014]( was the perfect expression of the nation’s tendency to mix serious matters with a bit of whimsy. And in 2008, when 2,008 musicians played the ancient Chinese fou instrument, [perfectly synchronized](, it was another demonstration of China’s culture of very large groups working in unison. Quotable “The safety of our employees is of utmost importance to us. With the pandemic continuing to be a global threat, and with the covid-related on-site restrictions in place for the Olympics that would make coverage very challenging, we felt that keeping our people home was the best decision for us.” —ESPN executive vice president [Norby Williamson]( Brief history [1906:]( An Olympic Committee Congress meeting results in the initiation of opening ceremonies (pdf). [1908:]( The first opening ceremony is held at the London Olympics. [1912:]( Artistic elements of the opening ceremony are introduced by former International Olympic Committee president Pierre de Coubertin (pdf). [1936:]( Adolf Hitler presides over the Berlin Olympics opening ceremony, also known as the Nazi Olympics. [1936:]( Liechtenstein and Haiti arrive at the opening ceremony with the same national flag, which led to both modifying their flags by adding a crown and a coat of arms, respectively. [1964:]( Japanese athlete Yoshinori Sakai aka “Hiroshima Baby” lights the Olympic cauldron in Tokyo. [1996:]( Boxing legend and Olympic gold medalist Muhammad Ali lights the centennial torch at the Atlanta games. [2000:]( South Korea and North Korea parade under a single flag. [2012:]( Queen Elizabeth II and James Bond (Daniel Craig), parachute (via stuntmen) from a helicopter into the opening ceremony in London. [2024:]( For the first time, the opening ceremony won’t take place in a stadium but on the river Seine in Paris. Photo by Eric Helgas, art direction by Alex Citrin-Safadi Keeping warm The Quartz Obsession podcast --------------------------------------------------------------- The 2024 opening ceremony may look different, but there’s probably something that will always be at any Winter Games: Puffers. Puffer jackets have been worn by outdoorsmen, rappers, the military, luxury shoppers, and—eventually—everyone. Almost a century after the first puffer, the market is still heating up. But are North Face jackets really worth their price? And does “puffiness” automatically equal warmth? Quartz editors Kira Bindrim and Alexandra Ossola unzipped these questions in the debut episode of the [Quartz Obsession podcast, season two](. 🎧 Listen on: [Apple Podcasts]( | [Spotify]( | [Google]( | [Stitcher]( Sponsored by Alumni Ventures Giphy The way we 📺 now How to watch --------------------------------------------------------------- US-based viewers will be able to watch the festivities live on NBC, Peacock, the Olympic Channel, and the USA Network at 6:30am ET on Feb. 4. The event will be held at the National Stadium (also known as the Bird’s Nest) in Beijing. US officials will also be watching closely. Weeks before the games, ​​Republicans serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent [a letter]( to NBCUniversal voicing concerns about “the extent of influence the [Chinese Communist Party] may have over NBCUniversal’s coverage of the games.” Reuters/Martin Bureau Absent at the Open --------------------------------------------------------------- The list of countries engaged in a [diplomatic boycott]( of the Olympics related to [human rights issues]( will lead to a number of political officials skipping the opening ceremony. Countries have boycotted for various reasons in the past, including in [1956 in Australia](, [1980 in Russia]( (then the Soviet Union), and [1984 in the US](. This time around, boycotting nations currently include: the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Lithuania, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, and Denmark. [Other countries]( have also opted to bow out of the opening ceremony, but [have avoided]( calling their absences a diplomatic boycott, instead citing health safety concerns related to the pandemic. In both cases, the absences are limited to political officials. Athletes from their respective countries are expected to compete in the Games. Reuters Pop quiz In what year did the first parade of nations take place? 1906191219201908 Correct. You’re right, march on. Incorrect. Get back in line. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. YouTube Watch this! At the 2004 opening ceremonies in Athens, [Icelandic artist Björk]( debuted her single “Oceania.” The singer wore a blue dress with [more than 210 m]( (689 feet) of fabric. It pooled out around her, doubling as a circular screen onto which an image of the world was projected. Illustration by Alex Citrin Want more Olympics? 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