Rio de Janiero welcomed the world with a message: Let's take better care of our planet.
The Rio Olympics opening ceremony started with fireworks and laser lit choreography on Friday.- The show drew homegrown stars, like supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who walked across the stadium to the sound of bossa nova hit \"Girl from Ipanema\" and tropicalia legends Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Everyone performed for free. (Photo: AP)
- The creative minds behind the opening ceremony were determined to put on a show that would not offend a country in dire economic straits but would showcase the famously upbeat nature of Brazilians. (Photo: AP)
- The opening ceremony was further lit up by Brazilian funk a contemporary mash-up of 20th century rhythms, sung by stars Karol Conka and 12-year-old rapper MC Soffia. (Photo: AP)
- The joyful opening contrasted with months of turmoil and chaos, not only in the organization of the Olympics but across Brazil as it endures its worst economic recession in decades and a deep political crisis. (Photo: AP)
- As well as the economic problems, Brazil is also in the grip of a political crisis which led to the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff. She refused to attend the ceremony, leaving Temer in her place with a hostile reception from the crowd predicted. (Photo: AP)
- Before the show, in a video broadcast inside the 78,000-seat Maracana Stadium, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the games \"celebrate the best of humanity\" and appealed for an Olympic truce, calling on \"all warring parties to lay down their weapons\" during the two weeks of sporting achievement. (Photo: AP)
- The ceremony launched 17 days of sporting drama led by a cast of elite athletes including sprint king Usain Bolt and swimming superstar Phelps which wraps up on August 21. (Photo: AP)
- As the clock ticked down to the start of the ceremony, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to vent their fury at Brazil's rulers and the multi-billion-dollar cost of the Games. (Photo: AP)
- France's President Francois Hollande and Argentina's Mauricio Macri were among a handful of state leaders in the VIP box with Brazil's troubled interim leader Michel Temer. (Photo: AP)
- Brazilian singer Paulinho da Viola sang the national anthem with children to set off the show of laser lights and elaborate dances before the athletes' parade. (Photo: AP)
- Under the gaze of Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue, 78,000 packed packed into the iconic Maracana Stadium to watch four-hour party in South America's first Olympics. (Photo: AP)
- Loud cheering erupted when two of the last teams entered the stadium: the first Refugee team in Olympic history and finally a samba-dancing Brazil contingent. (Photo: AP)
- While the Rio 2016 organizing committee has not said how much the ceremony cost, it is believed to be about half of the $42 million spent by London in 2012. (Photo: AP)
The Rio Olympics opening ceremony started with fireworks and laser lit choreography on Friday as Brazil sought to forget seven years of troubled preparations and the Olympic movement to temporarily put aside its doping crisis. (Photo: AP)
Rio de Janiero welcomed the world with a message: Let's take better care of our planet.
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