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2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony

October 15, 2023

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]

2000 Summer Olympics
opening ceremony
Athletes leaving the stadium at the end of the ceremony
Date15 September 2000; 23 years ago (2000-09-15)[1][2][3]
Time19:00 – 23:19 AEDT (UTC+11)[3]
VenueStadium Australia[1]
LocationSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates33°50′50″S 151°03′48″E / 33.84722°S 151.06333°E / -33.84722; 151.06333
Filmed bySOBO
FootageSydney 2000 Opening Ceremony – Full Length on YouTube

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.

Preparations Edit

As one of the motto's of the games was the "Games of the New Millennium", there was a major reevaluation on how to present the Olympics, which included the ceremonies.[5] In regards to the protocol of the ceremony, there had been incremental changes in the ceremony format after Rome 1960 where the Olympic Anthem was sung, and with the symbolic release of doves starting at Lillehammer '94.[11] The ceremonies producers chose to have the lighting of the cauldron at the end of the ceremony, rather than having it in the middle of the protocol section. This ordering has been the groundwork for all Olympic opening ceremonies after 2000.[citation needed]

The artistic section, where it showed the host countries culture through a separate presentation, gained more prominence since Moscow 1980. The Moscow Opening ceremony was one that Australian director Ric Birch had been personally impressed by.[12] This was the first Opening Ceremony which showed the host countries national culture through one narrative rather than multiple segments.[13]

By 2000, Birch had worked on global events for over 18 years producing high profile events. He directed the 1982 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies, and the cultural and the opening ceremonies of Expo 1988, both held in Brisbane. He was also asked to direct and produce some segments of the 1984 and 1992 Summer Olympic Opening ceremonies, and was involved in Sydney's handover segment at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. Birch was hired to produce the ceremonies in September 1993.[14] The idea for the ceremony climax with the cauldron leaving a waterfall was planned during Stadium Australia design process, as they needed to consider requirements of the water structure of the northern stand and extra supports for the height of the cauldron arc.[15][16] For the rest of the ceremony, Birch wanted a model where each segment was organised by a specialty director, and was given free artistic reign in their segment as long as it was telling its part of the story.[17] The team of directors were assembled in 1997, with David Atkins as the head Artistic Director and Producer.[18] In August 2000, the organisers announced the eleven main performers, the twenty-one composers and four conductors held in a press conference in Melbourne.[2]

Officials and guests Edit

International Olympic Committee

The wife of Juan Antonio Samaranch, María Teresa Salisachs Rowe, was seriously ill and was not able to accompany her husband to the Olympics (she died the following day, from cancer).[19] Therefore, Samaranch invited former Australian Olympic Champion swimmer, Dawn Fraser, to accompany him at the ceremony.[9][20] Dawn Fraser explained some of the cultural references in the display section to him.

Dignitaries from international organizations

Host dignitaries & VIPs

Foreign dignitaries & VIPs

Proceedings Edit

Prelude Edit

As spectators arrived, they found on their seats a yellow Globite case with Olympic Stickers on the front, reminiscent of those that once prevailed in Australian schoolrooms in the 20th Century. Inside the case were green and gold socks, cheer band, a torch, lapel pin, event program, postcard, cards, earplugs, stickers and a Kodak CD Rom. The torch and cheer band – set with movement sensitive lights – illuminated the darkened stands during the Fire segment, Arrivals segment and the lighting of the cauldron, while Australian Olympic Team socks appeared prominently on the sea of waving hands during Australia's entry to the stadium.[26]

The Prelude segment lasted an hour before the ceremony started. It was hosted by Seven Network's Sports Commentator David Fordham and news presenter Chris Bath, while seven months pregnant with her first child, live on the northern stage in the stadium. It featured various performances, including a Welcome to Country from the Wangal people, children singing the official Team Welcome Song "G'day G'day", a recognition of the Bidding team and the Olympic volunteers, a recognition from the United Nations of the Olympic Truce, Mexican waves, and a singalong of "Waltzing Matilda" with John Williamson.[27][20][28]

Welcome and Anthem Edit

"Advance Australia Fair"
(Opening Ceremony)

Verse 1 (Sung by Human Nature as A cappella)
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Verse 2 (Sung by Julie Anthony with orchestra)
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Verse 1 Reprise (all voices)

The ceremony began with a countdown composed by Richard Mills performed by Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The large screens counted down from 60 to 1. Starting at 23, footage from previous games appeared with the phrase "Opening Ceremony" at the end.

The Opening Ceremony began with a tribute to the heritage of the Australian Stock Horse, with the arrival of a lone rider, Steve Jefferys, whose Australian Stock Horse, Ammo, reared. Jefferys then cracked his stockwhip and 120 riders and their Stock Horses entered the stadium performing a 'musical ride' with many intricate steps, to the music of Bruce Rowland who composed a special Olympic version of the main theme which he had composed for the 1982 film The Man from Snowy River.[29] Each rider held a flag with the Olympic Rings coloured turquoise. One of the configurations formed the five Olympic Rings.

A giant banner painted by Sydney artist Ken Done was unfurled, depicting the Sydney Harbour Bridge in bright colours, saying "G'Day" to the world.

The Governor-General Sir William Deane, the Prime Minister John Howard and the President of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch, arrived after a jazz fanfare was performed by James Morrison and Swing City, his brother's Big Band.[30] The Australian National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair, was then sung by both Human Nature and Julie Anthony, accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Simone Young.[31] The Stock Horse riders still on the field then swapped their Olympic flags for Australian flags before riding out of the stadium.

Artistic Section Edit

Deep Sea Dreaming Edit

This segment celebrated Australia's affinity with the sea with the stadium floor being turned into a beach setting. The hero girl, Nikki Webster,[33] arrived in beachwear and basks in the light. She seemed to fall asleep on the beach and drift off into a dream. The performers represented the sea and the various aquatic fauna appear and move around the arena floor. The hero girl was then hoisted up in the air by overhead wires and swam with the sea creatures.[34] Other swimmers were also present, being coached (on a large screen) by Australian swimming coach Laurie Lawrence. This was a tribute to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

  • Segment Director & Choreographer: Meryl Tankard
  • Assistant Director & Choreographer: Steven McTaggart
  • Designer: Dan Potra
  • Costume Designers: Dan Potra and Meryl Tankard

Awakening Edit

 
The Awakening segment featured a 32-meter diameter cloth showing a Wandjina spirit - a large head that shows the eyes and nose, but with no mouth.

The Awakening segment celebrated Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, which was claimed at the time to date back over 60,000 years. A special welcome was made to countries competing at the Games. A Yolngu elder and songman, Djakapurra Munyarryun,[35][36] guided the girl through the indigenous ceremonies of connections to the land and the protocols for welcoming others to indigenous land. The segment featured Indigenous Australians from the Central Desert, the Numbulwar, Yirrkala, Ramingining and Manningrida peoples of Arnhem Land, Torres Strait Islanders, and the Koorie clan of NSW. The segment ended when the Wandjina-ancestral spirit appears[37] (in the form of a 32-metre diameter cloth in the style of rock portrait) roaring and flinging a lightning bolt to ignite a bushfire.[38][34]

  • Segment Directors: Stephen Page and Rhoda Roberts
  • Designer: Peter England
  • Costume Designer: Jennifer Irwin
  • Choreographers: Stephen Page, Matthew Doyle, Elma Kris and Peggy Misi

Fire and Nature Edit

 
The Nature segment

The Fire and Nature segment showcased the Australian outback, wildlife and flora. It began with various fire performers (jugglers, breathers) moving across the stadium floor, symbolising the advance of a bushfire.[34] In the aftermath, performers representing the flora stir as the land is replenished with water and life. The stadium floor is filled with performers dressed in costumes representing various flowers including Australia's distinctive wild flowers such as the Golden Wattle (Australia's national flower), the Waratah (State flower of NSW), the Sturt's Desert Pea, Water Lilies and Eucalypt flowers.[34] The fauna, which were represented by seven large paintings by Ngemba artist Jeffrey Sammuels, were then revealed, depicting the Indigenous animal life in Australia.[39] The flowers once more were illuminated before moving out of the stadium.[34]

Fire credits:

  • Segment Director: David Atkins
  • Choreographer: Jason Coleman
  • Costume Designers: Paula Ryan, Michael Wilkinson

Nature credits:

  • Segment Director: Peter Wilson
  • Designer: Eamon D'Arcy
  • Choreographer: Doug Jack
  • Charting Choreographer: Jason Olthoff
  • Artwork Graphic Design: Jeffrey Samuels

Tin Symphony Edit

In the Tin Symphony segment, cases of the European settlement in Australia were shown, and the development of Australia into a rural and civic country.[34] The segment began with the arrival of Captain James Cook, with naturalist Joseph Banks and crew, with bicycles to represent his ship, HM Bark Endeavour, during Captain Cook's exploration of the Australian east coast. A caged fake rabbit was shown aboard the ship.[40] The performer acting as Captain Cook lit a firework mark the start of the segment.

Tin Symphony Part 1— The music, co-written and co-produced by Ian Cooper and John Frohlich, includes an Irish jig montaged with drums, bush sounds and voice.[41] A multitude of performers dress as the iconic Australian bushranger Ned Kelly (with costumes based on Sir Sidney Nolan's series of Ned Kelly paintings) then appear onto the stadium floor, with other symbolic items of the outback such as corrugated iron and storm water tanks present. A mechanical horse like vehicle was present which then changed into a wind mill. Cultural items such as woodcutting and whip cracking were showcased. Irish dancers present in this section danced on the corrugated iron sheets, with umbrellas made up to look like giant cogs and wheels to represent the industrial growth of Australia.[34]

Tin Symphony Part 2— The tempo changes as Australia's rural aspects were introduced. In the middle of the stadium floor, a shed was constructed from the corrugated iron sheets. Out of the shed comes a unique representation of sheep, an important livestock. The sheep were represented by performers in cardboard boxes, that move along with the music. Australian suburbia is then represented as the performers emerged from the cardboard boxes with simulations of Victa lawn mowers to form the Olympics Rings.[34] The giant mechanical horse then made another appearance, before the hero girl gave an apple to it. At the end of the segment, the mechanical horse neighed to signify the conclusion.

  • Segment Director: Nigel Jamieson
  • Designer: Dan Potra
  • Choreographers: Karen Johnson Mortimer, Doug Jack, Legs on the Wall
  • Charting Choreographer: Jason Olthoff

Arrivals and Under Southern Skies Edit

The Arrivals segment of the ceremony celebrated Australia's multiculturalism and its migrant culture, with a float and costumes symbolising each continent.[34] First, migrants from the African continent, danced into the stadium wearing black costumes. They were followed by dancers in yellow symbolising the arrival of Asian migrants into Australia, led by two yellow Chinese Lion dancers. European migrants were introduced by the colour green, further adding to the growing party on the stadium floor. The music changed again and a splash of red symbolising the arrival of migrants from the Americas was introduced into the stadium. Finally, performers representing migrants from the various Pacific Islands, with an emphasis on New Zealand came into the stadium in vivid blue costumes. The five floats manoeuvred into position to represent their respective coloured rings of the Olympic flag. By the crescendo of the segment, four of the floats (Asia, America, Europe and the Pacific Islands) surround the African float as the performers from all the represented continents rushed out from the middle to form the Australian continent.

The performers stood with arms out reached towards the audience, forming the coastline of Australia and thus symbolising Australia's welcoming arms to people from all over the world. Then many children dressed in the Olympic colours flooded into the arena and formed a solid shape of Australia, as the performers from the sequence before left the performance floor. Webster then performed the song Under Southern Skies with five people representing each continent standing with her, as the children formed a large representation of the Southern Cross constellation with their lanterns.[34]

Eternity Edit

 
The Eternity segment showed thousands of tap dancers.

The next segment began with Adam Garcia standing on the central float in the middle of the stadium floor. He began his performance by tap dancing and inviting more performers onto the stadium. More dancers filed onto the stands where the audience was sitting who also joined in with performance. Several cherry picker cranes in the centre with the floats began to slowly rise up with the crescendo of the music. The dancers symbolised the workers building a new Australia for the future. The dancers in the stands rushed out onto the stadium floor to join their fellow dancers. Some of the dancers held square sheets of steel that they both danced on and held in their hands to reflect light out as they danced. By the finale of this segment, large steel frames rose from each float to form a tall structure. In the middle were the hero girl and the Aboriginal songman, who looked wondrously out into the audience, surveying the workers.[34] Then as the close of the presentation approached, the performers from the other segments all came out and joined in with those already dancing. A large representation of the Sydney Harbour Bridge composed of sparklers was set off in the middle of the stadium with the word "Eternity" shown in the middle of the bridge.[9]

This segment was inspired by the then popular theatrical show Tap Dogs, and the soon to be released movie, Bootmen. Peewee Ferris's remix of the music was played as the performers slowly moved their way out of the stadium.

  • Segment Director & Designer: Nigel Triffitt
  • Tap Choreographer: Dein Perry
  • Choreographer: Doug Jack Mandala
  • Airboard Choreographer: Jason Coleman
  • Bridge Graphic Design: Ken Done

Sydney 2000 Olympic Band Edit

 
The Olympic Band performs

A massed marching band of 2,000 musicians performed a melody of Australian and international classics, and previous Olympic themes. It included "Also Sprach Zarathustra", "Chariots of Fire", "Ode to Joy", "Bugler's Dream", "Waltzing Matilda", and John Williams "Olympic Fanfare & Theme". The band consisted of 1,000 Australian musicians, with the remaining 1,000 musicians being from other countries around the world.[42] The massed band was so large that six conductors were required for the segment. The band members wore Driza-Bone riding coats which had been especially modified for the band members.[43][44] The band was one of the few live sound creations of the night.

Marching and wind bands have made regular appearances in Summer Olympic Ceremonies throughout the 20th century. However, this segment was controversial in the lead up in the local media, over the fact that, when announced in 1999, three-quarters of the band were from overseas while ignoring Sydney based wind bands.[45] The organisers had to renegotiate the number of international performer invitations for this segment so that half the band was made up of Australian performers on the night. Birch always envisioned the band to be both larger than anyone had seen at an Olympic ceremony, and for an international band to welcome international athletes.[42] Reviews immediately after the ceremony stated that the band was so "skilled and entertaining in their fashion" that "it was hard to believe that their part was ever in doubt."[29][46] In contrast, Peter FitzSimons opined that the band was a non-sequitur compared to the rest of the Australiana pageantry, and was seen as an element of cocacolanisation by some in Australia.[29] Since 2000, marching and wind bands have not seen a major appearance at an Olympics opening ceremony, except for the Hellenic Naval Band during the entrance of the Presidents in the Athens ceremony, and an appearance from the Gunthorpe Colliery Band during the Pandemonium segment of the London ceremony.

Parade of Nations Edit

See also: 2000 Summer Olympics national flag bearers

Once the Sydney 2000 Olympic Band made their introduction, they took their place in front of the ceremony stage, and volunteers came out to begin the Parade of Nations. Twenty eight of the larger nations entered under a music piece of their country played by the Marching Band (e.g. Land of Hope and Glory was played for Great Britain, Sakura Sakura was played for Japan, Siyahamba was played for South Africa, Born in the USA /Stars and Stripes Forever for the United States and Down Under for Australia), while smaller countries entered in with various Olympic Anthems, Percussion Cadences, and The Warriors as a nod to Australian wind band composer Percy Grainger.[47] As is Olympic tradition, Greece entered first in honour of its position as birthplace of the Olympics, and host nation Australia entered last.

As in the last Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the last Winter Olympics in Nagano, the countries entered in English alphabetical order. This was also to be seen during the next Olympics, in Salt Lake City.

A record of 199 nations entered the stadium with the exception of Afghanistan, a nation banned by the IOC in 1999 because of the extremist rule of the Taliban's oppression on women and its sports.[48][49] The parade of nations also featured a unified entrance by the athletes of the North and South Korea, holding a specially designed unification flag: a white background flag with a blue map of the Korean peninsula; however, the two teams competed separately.[50][7] Four athletes from East Timor marched directly in the opening ceremonies as Individual Olympic Athletes before the host nation. Without the existence of the National Olympic Committee, they were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag.[51]

Dare To Dream Edit

Veteran pop artists John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John[52] walked among the Olympic competitors and performed the theme song Dare to Dream, which was written especially for the occasion by award-winning songwriters Paul Begaud, Vanessa Corish and Wayne Tester. Begaud and Corish are regular songwriting collaborators both born and raised in Sydney.[53]

Opening Addresses Edit

After a brief fanfare by David Stanhope, the President of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), Michael Knight, and the President of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch made the opening addresses. In Knight's address, he spoke to the athletes directly about Australians love for sport, that while in the parade "the crowd cheered loudest for the home team, as it will at the sporting competitions," that "there is room in our hearts to support all of you wherever you have come from. Australians love sport, and we admire outstanding skill and courage."[54] Samaranch gave a recognition of Indigenous Australians, by summarising the artistic section in these words: "I would like to express our respect to those who have made Australia what it is today, a great country, with a special tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."[7][54]

The event was officially opened by Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia Sir William Deane. This was the first occasion that a Summer Olympics held in a Commonwealth realm was not opened by the monarch or a member of the Royal Family, although it was the second overall, behind the 1988 Winter Olympics.[55] Prime Minister John Howard had originally planned to open the games himself, with the agreement of the organising committee and the IOC. However, in November 1999, he changed his mind and advised the IOC that Deane would be opening the games. Howard said this was due to "a concern that my opening the Olympic Games would become a party political issue." This was a few days after the results of the 1999 Australian republic referendum was known.[56][57]

"I declare open the Games of Sydney, celebrating the XXVII Olympiad of the modern era."

— HE The Hon Sir William Deane, AC KBE, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

Olympic Flag Edit

Then 19-year-old pop star Vanessa Amorosi sang Heroes Live Forever to signify the legacy left by sports stars all over the world.[52][28] The song was composed by John Gillard and Trevor White.

During the song, an enormous white flag the size of the stadium field was passed over the audience on the southern stand and was brought down over the crowd by volunteers. Whilst this happened, images of past sports legends were displayed on the flag. When the flag reached the athletes, a Dove of Peace was projected, followed by the Olympic Rings.[28] This section was a partial recreation of a scene at the 1992 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, where a large Olympic flag covered the athletes.[58]

The Olympic Flag was then carried around the arena by eight former Australian Olympic champions: Bill Roycroft, Murray Rose, Liane Tooth, Gillian Rolton, Marjorie Jackson, Lorraine Crapp, Michael Wenden and Nick Green. It was then handed over to eight Australia's Federation Guard members, who carried and raised the flag. During the raising of the Olympic flag, the Olympic Hymn was sung in Greek by the Millennium Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, signifying the large Greek population of Australia.

The Olympic Oaths were taken by then captain of the Australian Women's Hockey Team Rechelle Hawkes on behalf of the athletes,[59] and by Australian Water Polo Referee Peter Kerr on behalf of the officials.[60]

The Flame Edit

See also: 2000 Summer Olympics cauldron
 
The Olympic Flame arriving at its final resting place

For the first time in recent Olympic history, the opening ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. Tina Arena, the Sydney Children's Choir and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performed The Flame,[52] while showing archive footage of some highlights of the torch relay on the large screens, then cutting to live footage outside the stadium of Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Herb Elliott with the torch.[61]

Then, celebrating 100 years of women's participation in the Olympics,[16] former Australian women Olympic champions and medalists: Betty Cuthbert and Raelene Boyle,[28] Dawn Fraser,[62] Shirley Strickland de la Hunty,[62] Shane Gould[28] and Debbie Flintoff-King[62] brought the torch through the stadium, before handing it over to Cathy Freeman.[63] Freeman then climbed a long set of stairs towards a circular pool of water. She walked into the middle of the water and ignited the cauldron around her feet in a ring of fire. The cauldron then rose out from the water, above Freeman's head, and then was transported up a long waterfall, where it finally rested on a tall silver pedestal above the stadium as the ceremony concluded with a fireworks display.[7][16]

The planned climax to the ceremony was delayed by a technical glitch of a malfunctioned limit switch, which also severed the communications cable to override the program.[64] This meant that the Olympic flame was suspended in mid-air for about four minutes, rather than immediately rising up the waterfall to the top of the stadium. In interviews after the ceremony, the organizers stated that when the cause of the problem was discovered, engineers overrode the program and the cauldron continued its course.[8][64] 20 years later, some engineers stated it was fixed through a backup radio signal to the cauldron.[65][66] Moreover, the gas bottles for the cauldron were close to empty before it was attached to a main gas line, and the backup flames were missing.[64]

  • Concept: Ric Birch, Michael Scott-Mitchell
  • Segment Director: Richard Wherrett
  • Cauldron Designer: Michael Scott-Mitchell

Music Edit

Main article: The Games Of The XXVII Olympiad 2000: Music from the Opening Ceremony

Music from the opening ceremony was released as an album that same year.

Reviews Edit

The ceremony was given rave reviews by the local media. IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch thought it was a successful opening ceremony, giving it a 10-out-of-10.[67][68] The Sydney Morning Herald said "It was daring. It was dignified. It was witty. It was breathtaking in its large-scale theatricality."[69] Journalist Peter FitzSimons said that the atmosphere at the stadium that night was electric and said of the Artistic section that "it was a colourful and colossal kaleidoscope on overdrive, with Australia's cultural buttons being played like piano keys in the hands of a master."[29] The Sunday Telegraph described it as a "truly great moment" in Australian history, going on to say that about the Awakening segment that it was "Australia's global declaration that it acknowledged its indigenous people and cared about their future, while feeling considerable regret – yes even sorrow – about the past." John Lombard from ABC News pointed out that having Cathy Freeman be the athlete to light the cauldron was a coup, as the extra symbolism of many white, Australian born women passing the torch to an Aboriginal athlete "hit all the right buttons".[68]

Foreign press reaction was also very positive; The New York Times also noted the themes of reconciliation given the political climate.[7] The London Daily Express's Shekhar Bhatia described Webster as "the toast of the town and a global sensation".[70] London's Daily Telegraph wrote that the "four-hour spectacle must be classified an unqualified success."[70] The only negative review reported at the time was from The Washington Post, where Sally Jenkins described the ceremony as traditional, expensive and too long; as something that "a roving band of wild dogs couldn't cure."[70] She did go on to say that the lighting of the caldron was "almost worth the price of admission" due to its symbolism of the nation's reconciliation.[71]

Legacy Edit

A major theme in this ceremony was of reconciliation between Australia and the Australian Indigenous nations. In the years leading up to the Olympics, Indigenous reconciliation was becoming a central social and political issue after the release of the Bringing Them Home report.[7] In the ceremony's Media Guide, the author notes that 4 months earlier, during the Corroboree 2000 reconciliation event 250,000 Australians of all backgrounds walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge as support for recognition of past wrongs towards the First Nations peoples.[72] The Awakening segment was critical to the ceremony by showing Indigenous dance and music in its own context for over 11 minutes and in a deep and significant way. In later sporting events, similar segments were developed for the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, and the artistic section of the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony began with the theme of Australian history from an Indigenous point of view.[73]

In November 2000, the television footage of Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron was declared "the sporting image of the year" and won a "Golden Podum" by Sportel, a major international sports television convention held annually in Monaco.[74] At the first Helpmann Awards the ceremony was awarded Best Special Event/Performance, Best Sound Design, and Best Costume Design for the Deep Sea Dreaming segment, and Best Scenic Design for the Awakening segment.[75]

The Arts Unit of NSW Education played an important role in providing primary and high school children across NSW to perform at Olympic events. The Sydney 2000 Olympic Band continues as a secondary public school ensemble in New South Wales. Now named the NSW Public Schools Millennium Marching Band, the band performs at large-scale and televised events in both Australia and overseas. The smaller ensemble (consisting of around 100 members) traveled to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics held in China that year and performed in the United States in 2015 in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles.[76][77] The Sing 2001 choir continued to perform after the Olympics during major events in 2001 celebrating the Centenary of Federation.[78]

Television coverage Edit

Around 3.7 billion viewers from 220 countries watched the ceremony on TV.[4] Viewership across Asia was double compared to the opening ceremony in Atlanta.[79]

  • Host Broadcaster: Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation (SOBO) – Director Peter Faiman
  •   Australia – Seven Network provided Australia's live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony which began at 6:30pm AEDT with half an hour of preparations live at the stadium.[20] Hosts and commentators included Bruce McAvaney, Gary Wilkinson and Sandy Roberts. Added narration and commentary for the Indigenous segment "Awakening" was Wajarri actor and TV personality Ernie Dingo.[63] There was one short ad-break was during the Marching Band segment. AC Nielsen reported a peak audience of over 10.4 million viewers not counting those watching from big screen sites.[80]
  •   New Zealand – TVNZ viewers experienced a technical problem with their satellite feed during the "Prelude" and "Welcome" segments and therefore did not see the Countdown live. Moreover, the 1.3 million audience watched the ceremony on a short tape-delay so to allow for cuts to commercial breaks. This meant that the lighting of the cauldron was shown 40 minutes after the event happened.[81]
  •   United Kingdom – BBC Television and Radio 5 Live covered the ceremony from 9am BST. BBC1 showed the coverage until 1pm when the coverage moved to BBC2 due to the overrun coverage. Steve Rider and Sue Barker hosted and Barry Davies was the commentator for the ceremony.[82] 4 million watched the ceremony, which was a 53% share in the UK.[83]
  •   United States – As general practice in the United States, NBC tape-delayed the ceremonies so it would air in primetime in the United States, as live programming would be aired during the early morning. AC Nielsen reported a peak audience of over 27.2 million viewers.[84]

See also Edit

References Edit

Citations Edit

  1. ^ a b c Barkham, Patrick (15 September 2000). "Sydney launches Games with wit, flair and symbolism | Special reports | guardian.co.uk". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c . Sportcal. SOCOG Press Release. 9 August 2000. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Friday 15 September 2000 — MELBOURNE". Television.AU. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Sydney 2000 Relived: Opening Ceremony, 15 September 2000". Australian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Pirrie, Michael (15 September 2020). . Around The Rings. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  6. ^ Hilbig, Allison (16 February 2017). . Theatrepeople. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Longman, Jere (16 September 2000). "SYDNEY 2000: THE OVERVIEW; Games Open With Ceremony and Tribute". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b "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.
  9. ^ a b c Williams, Sue (17 September 2000). "We're riding so high and mighty". The Sun Herald.
  10. ^ Jinman, Richard (26 August 2008). "Revealed: Sydney Olympics faked it too". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  11. ^ Miliccia, Andrea. "Protocol at the Olympic Games". Protocol Bureau. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  12. ^ Birch 2004, p. 10.
  13. ^ Ellwood, Gregory (5 August 2016). "Why Olympics opening ceremonies keep getting better". Vox. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  14. ^ Birch 2004, p. 209.
  15. ^ West 2000, p. 59.
  16. ^ a b c Stephens, Tony (12 August 2020). "From the archives: Out of the water, a fiery cauldron that will burn in the nation's memory". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  17. ^ Birch 2004, p. 239.
  18. ^ Birch 2004, p. 248.
  19. ^ Abrahamson, Alan (17 September 2000). "IOC Chief's Wife Dies of Cancer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g "Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Intro". YouTube. Seven Network. Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
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Bibliography Edit

  • West, D. (2000). Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney 15 September 2000, Media Guide. SOGOC.
  • Birch, Ric (2004). Master of the Ceremonies: An eventful life. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-417-8. Retrieved 18 February 2021.

External links Edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
  • – The Official Report of the XXVII Olympiad
  • – Australian Special Events
  • Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony – Full Length on YouTube

October 15, 2023
2000, summer, olympics, opening, ceremony, opening, ceremony, 2000, summer, olympics, took, place, evening, friday, september, 2000, stadium, australia, sydney, during, which, games, were, formally, opened, then, governor, general, william, deane, mandated, ol. 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 2000 Summer Olympicsopening ceremonyAthletes leaving the stadium at the end of the ceremonyDate15 September 2000 23 years ago 2000 09 15 1 2 3 Time19 00 23 19 AEDT UTC 11 3 VenueStadium Australia 1 LocationSydney New South Wales AustraliaCoordinates33 50 50 S 151 03 48 E 33 84722 S 151 06333 E 33 84722 151 06333Filmed bySOBOFootageSydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length on YouTubeThe 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 Contents 1 Preparations 2 Officials and guests 3 Proceedings 3 1 Prelude 3 2 Welcome and Anthem 3 3 Artistic Section 3 3 1 Deep Sea Dreaming 3 3 2 Awakening 3 3 3 Fire and Nature 3 3 4 Tin Symphony 3 3 5 Arrivals and Under Southern Skies 3 3 6 Eternity 3 4 Sydney 2000 Olympic Band 3 5 Parade of Nations 3 6 Dare To Dream 3 7 Opening Addresses 3 8 Olympic Flag 3 9 The Flame 4 Music 5 Reviews 6 Legacy 7 Television coverage 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Citations 9 2 Bibliography 10 External linksPreparations EditAs one of the motto s of the games was the Games of the New Millennium there was a major reevaluation on how to present the Olympics which included the ceremonies 5 In regards to the protocol of the ceremony there had been incremental changes in the ceremony format after Rome 1960 where the Olympic Anthem was sung and with the symbolic release of doves starting at Lillehammer 94 11 The ceremonies producers chose to have the lighting of the cauldron at the end of the ceremony rather than having it in the middle of the protocol section This ordering has been the groundwork for all Olympic opening ceremonies after 2000 citation needed The artistic section where it showed the host countries culture through a separate presentation gained more prominence since Moscow 1980 The Moscow Opening ceremony was one that Australian director Ric Birch had been personally impressed by 12 This was the first Opening Ceremony which showed the host countries national culture through one narrative rather than multiple segments 13 By 2000 Birch had worked on global events for over 18 years producing high profile events He directed the 1982 Commonwealth Games opening and closing ceremonies and the cultural and the opening ceremonies of Expo 1988 both held in Brisbane He was also asked to direct and produce some segments of the 1984 and 1992 Summer Olympic Opening ceremonies and was involved in Sydney s handover segment at the 1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony Birch was hired to produce the ceremonies in September 1993 14 The idea for the ceremony climax with the cauldron leaving a waterfall was planned during Stadium Australia design process as they needed to consider requirements of the water structure of the northern stand and extra supports for the height of the cauldron arc 15 16 For the rest of the ceremony Birch wanted a model where each segment was organised by a specialty director and was given free artistic reign in their segment as long as it was telling its part of the story 17 The team of directors were assembled in 1997 with David Atkins as the head Artistic Director and Producer 18 In August 2000 the organisers announced the eleven main performers the twenty one composers and four conductors held in a press conference in Melbourne 2 Officials and guests EditInternational Olympic Committee nbsp IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch and Members of the IOCThe wife of Juan Antonio Samaranch Maria Teresa Salisachs Rowe was seriously ill and was not able to accompany her husband to the Olympics she died the following day from cancer 19 Therefore Samaranch invited former Australian Olympic Champion swimmer Dawn Fraser to accompany him at the ceremony 9 20 Dawn Fraser explained some of the cultural references in the display section to him Dignitaries from international organizations nbsp Commonwealth of Nations Secretary General Don McKinnon nbsp United Nations Secretary General Kofi AnnanHost dignitaries amp VIPs nbsp Australia Governor General of Australia Sir William Deane and wife Helen Deane Prime Minister of Australia John Howard and wife Janette Howard Premier of New South Wales Bob Carr SOCOG President Michael Knight former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam former Prime Minister Sir John Gorton 20 Australian golfer Greg Norman 21 Foreign dignitaries amp VIPs nbsp Belgium Prince Philippe and wife Princess Mathilde representing the King of Belgium 22 nbsp Denmark Prince Consort Henrik Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim representing the Queen of Denmark 23 nbsp Monaco Prince Albert representing the Prince of Monaco nbsp Luxembourg Grand Duke Jean nbsp New Zealand Governor General Michael Hardie Boys 24 nbsp Palau President Johnson Toribiong nbsp United Kingdom Anne Princess Royal representing the Queen of the United Kingdom 20 nbsp United States First Daughter Chelsea Clinton representing the President of the United States of America 20 Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Barry McCaffrey Muhammad Ali 20 and Bill Gates 25 Proceedings EditPrelude Edit As spectators arrived they found on their seats a yellow Globite case with Olympic Stickers on the front reminiscent of those that once prevailed in Australian schoolrooms in the 20th Century Inside the case were green and gold socks cheer band a torch lapel pin event program postcard cards earplugs stickers and a Kodak CD Rom The torch and cheer band set with movement sensitive lights illuminated the darkened stands during the Fire segment Arrivals segment and the lighting of the cauldron while Australian Olympic Team socks appeared prominently on the sea of waving hands during Australia s entry to the stadium 26 The Prelude segment lasted an hour before the ceremony started It was hosted by Seven Network s Sports Commentator David Fordham and news presenter Chris Bath while seven months pregnant with her first child live on the northern stage in the stadium It featured various performances including a Welcome to Country from the Wangal people children singing the official Team Welcome Song G day G day a recognition of the Bidding team and the Olympic volunteers a recognition from the United Nations of the Olympic Truce Mexican waves and a singalong of Waltzing Matilda with John Williamson 27 20 28 Welcome and Anthem Edit Advance Australia Fair Opening Ceremony Verse 1 Sung by Human Nature as A cappella Australians all let us rejoice For we are young and free We ve golden soil and wealth for toil Our home is girt by sea Our land abounds in nature s gifts Of beauty rich and rare In history s page let every stage Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair Verse 2 Sung by Julie Anthony with orchestra Beneath our radiant Southern Cross We ll toil with hearts and hands To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands For those who ve come across the seas We ve boundless plains to share With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair In joyful strains then let us sing Advance Australia Fair Verse 1 Reprise all voices The ceremony began with a countdown composed by Richard Mills performed by Sydney Symphony Orchestra The large screens counted down from 60 to 1 Starting at 23 footage from previous games appeared with the phrase Opening Ceremony at the end The Opening Ceremony began with a tribute to the heritage of the Australian Stock Horse with the arrival of a lone rider Steve Jefferys whose Australian Stock Horse Ammo reared Jefferys then cracked his stockwhip and 120 riders and their Stock Horses entered the stadium performing a musical ride with many intricate steps to the music of Bruce Rowland who composed a special Olympic version of the main theme which he had composed for the 1982 film The Man from Snowy River 29 Each rider held a flag with the Olympic Rings coloured turquoise One of the configurations formed the five Olympic Rings A giant banner painted by Sydney artist Ken Done was unfurled depicting the Sydney Harbour Bridge in bright colours saying G Day to the world The Governor General Sir William Deane the Prime Minister John Howard and the President of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch arrived after a jazz fanfare was performed by James Morrison and Swing City his brother s Big Band 30 The Australian National Anthem Advance Australia Fair was then sung by both Human Nature and Julie Anthony accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Simone Young 31 The Stock Horse riders still on the field then swapped their Olympic flags for Australian flags before riding out of the stadium Segment Director Ignatius Jones 32 Costume Designer Kristian Fredrikson Graphic Designer for G day Bridge Ken DoneArtistic Section Edit Deep Sea Dreaming Edit This segment celebrated Australia s affinity with the sea with the stadium floor being turned into a beach setting The hero girl Nikki Webster 33 arrived in beachwear and basks in the light She seemed to fall asleep on the beach and drift off into a dream The performers represented the sea and the various aquatic fauna appear and move around the arena floor The hero girl was then hoisted up in the air by overhead wires and swam with the sea creatures 34 Other swimmers were also present being coached on a large screen by Australian swimming coach Laurie Lawrence This was a tribute to the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia Segment Director amp Choreographer Meryl Tankard Assistant Director amp Choreographer Steven McTaggart Designer Dan Potra Costume Designers Dan Potra and Meryl TankardAwakening Edit nbsp The Awakening segment featured a 32 meter diameter cloth showing a Wandjina spirit a large head that shows the eyes and nose but with no mouth The Awakening segment celebrated Australia s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures which was claimed at the time to date back over 60 000 years A special welcome was made to countries competing at the Games A Yolngu elder and songman Djakapurra Munyarryun 35 36 guided the girl through the indigenous ceremonies of connections to the land and the protocols for welcoming others to indigenous land The segment featured Indigenous Australians from the Central Desert the Numbulwar Yirrkala Ramingining and Manningrida peoples of Arnhem Land Torres Strait Islanders and the Koorie clan of NSW The segment ended when the Wandjina ancestral spirit appears 37 in the form of a 32 metre diameter cloth in the style of rock portrait roaring and flinging a lightning bolt to ignite a bushfire 38 34 Segment Directors Stephen Page and Rhoda Roberts Designer Peter England Costume Designer Jennifer Irwin Choreographers Stephen Page Matthew Doyle Elma Kris and Peggy MisiFire and Nature Edit nbsp The Nature segmentThe Fire and Nature segment showcased the Australian outback wildlife and flora It began with various fire performers jugglers breathers moving across the stadium floor symbolising the advance of a bushfire 34 In the aftermath performers representing the flora stir as the land is replenished with water and life The stadium floor is filled with performers dressed in costumes representing various flowers including Australia s distinctive wild flowers such as the Golden Wattle Australia s national flower the Waratah State flower of NSW the Sturt s Desert Pea Water Lilies and Eucalypt flowers 34 The fauna which were represented by seven large paintings by Ngemba artist Jeffrey Sammuels were then revealed depicting the Indigenous animal life in Australia 39 The flowers once more were illuminated before moving out of the stadium 34 Fire credits Segment Director David Atkins Choreographer Jason Coleman Costume Designers Paula Ryan Michael WilkinsonNature credits Segment Director Peter Wilson Designer Eamon D Arcy Choreographer Doug Jack Charting Choreographer Jason Olthoff Artwork Graphic Design Jeffrey SamuelsTin Symphony Edit In the Tin Symphony segment cases of the European settlement in Australia were shown and the development of Australia into a rural and civic country 34 The segment began with the arrival of Captain James Cook with naturalist Joseph Banks and crew with bicycles to represent his ship HM Bark Endeavour during Captain Cook s exploration of the Australian east coast A caged fake rabbit was shown aboard the ship 40 The performer acting as Captain Cook lit a firework mark the start of the segment Tin Symphony Part 1 The music co written and co produced by Ian Cooper and John Frohlich includes an Irish jig montaged with drums bush sounds and voice 41 A multitude of performers dress as the iconic Australian bushranger Ned Kelly with costumes based on Sir Sidney Nolan s series of Ned Kelly paintings then appear onto the stadium floor with other symbolic items of the outback such as corrugated iron and storm water tanks present A mechanical horse like vehicle was present which then changed into a wind mill Cultural items such as woodcutting and whip cracking were showcased Irish dancers present in this section danced on the corrugated iron sheets with umbrellas made up to look like giant cogs and wheels to represent the industrial growth of Australia 34 Tin Symphony Part 2 The tempo changes as Australia s rural aspects were introduced In the middle of the stadium floor a shed was constructed from the corrugated iron sheets Out of the shed comes a unique representation of sheep an important livestock The sheep were represented by performers in cardboard boxes that move along with the music Australian suburbia is then represented as the performers emerged from the cardboard boxes with simulations of Victa lawn mowers to form the Olympics Rings 34 The giant mechanical horse then made another appearance before the hero girl gave an apple to it At the end of the segment the mechanical horse neighed to signify the conclusion Segment Director Nigel Jamieson Designer Dan Potra Choreographers Karen Johnson Mortimer Doug Jack Legs on the Wall Charting Choreographer Jason OlthoffArrivals and Under Southern Skies Edit The Arrivals segment of the ceremony celebrated Australia s multiculturalism and its migrant culture with a float and costumes symbolising each continent 34 First migrants from the African continent danced into the stadium wearing black costumes They were followed by dancers in yellow symbolising the arrival of Asian migrants into Australia led by two yellow Chinese Lion dancers European migrants were introduced by the colour green further adding to the growing party on the stadium floor The music changed again and a splash of red symbolising the arrival of migrants from the Americas was introduced into the stadium Finally performers representing migrants from the various Pacific Islands with an emphasis on New Zealand came into the stadium in vivid blue costumes The five floats manoeuvred into position to represent their respective coloured rings of the Olympic flag By the crescendo of the segment four of the floats Asia America Europe and the Pacific Islands surround the African float as the performers from all the represented continents rushed out from the middle to form the Australian continent The performers stood with arms out reached towards the audience forming the coastline of Australia and thus symbolising Australia s welcoming arms to people from all over the world Then many children dressed in the Olympic colours flooded into the arena and formed a solid shape of Australia as the performers from the sequence before left the performance floor Webster then performed the song Under Southern Skies with five people representing each continent standing with her as the children formed a large representation of the Southern Cross constellation with their lanterns 34 Segment Director Lex Marinos Designer Eamon D Arcy Costume Designers Jenny Kee Lisa Ho Norma Moriceau Peter Morrissey Choreographer Jason ColemanEternity Edit nbsp The Eternity segment showed thousands of tap dancers The next segment began with Adam Garcia standing on the central float in the middle of the stadium floor He began his performance by tap dancing and inviting more performers onto the stadium More dancers filed onto the stands where the audience was sitting who also joined in with performance Several cherry picker cranes in the centre with the floats began to slowly rise up with the crescendo of the music The dancers symbolised the workers building a new Australia for the future The dancers in the stands rushed out onto the stadium floor to join their fellow dancers Some of the dancers held square sheets of steel that they both danced on and held in their hands to reflect light out as they danced By the finale of this segment large steel frames rose from each float to form a tall structure In the middle were the hero girl and the Aboriginal songman who looked wondrously out into the audience surveying the workers 34 Then as the close of the presentation approached the performers from the other segments all came out and joined in with those already dancing A large representation of the Sydney Harbour Bridge composed of sparklers was set off in the middle of the stadium with the word Eternity shown in the middle of the bridge 9 This segment was inspired by the then popular theatrical show Tap Dogs and the soon to be released movie Bootmen Peewee Ferris s remix of the music was played as the performers slowly moved their way out of the stadium Segment Director amp Designer Nigel Triffitt Tap Choreographer Dein Perry Choreographer Doug Jack Mandala Airboard Choreographer Jason Coleman Bridge Graphic Design Ken DoneSydney 2000 Olympic Band Edit nbsp The Olympic Band performsA massed marching band of 2 000 musicians performed a melody of Australian and international classics and previous Olympic themes It included Also Sprach Zarathustra Chariots of Fire Ode to Joy Bugler s Dream Waltzing Matilda and John Williams Olympic Fanfare amp Theme The band consisted of 1 000 Australian musicians with the remaining 1 000 musicians being from other countries around the world 42 The massed band was so large that six conductors were required for the segment The band members wore Driza Bone riding coats which had been especially modified for the band members 43 44 The band was one of the few live sound creations of the night Marching and wind bands have made regular appearances in Summer Olympic Ceremonies throughout the 20th century However this segment was controversial in the lead up in the local media over the fact that when announced in 1999 three quarters of the band were from overseas while ignoring Sydney based wind bands 45 The organisers had to renegotiate the number of international performer invitations for this segment so that half the band was made up of Australian performers on the night Birch always envisioned the band to be both larger than anyone had seen at an Olympic ceremony and for an international band to welcome international athletes 42 Reviews immediately after the ceremony stated that the band was so skilled and entertaining in their fashion that it was hard to believe that their part was ever in doubt 29 46 In contrast Peter FitzSimons opined that the band was a non sequitur compared to the rest of the Australiana pageantry and was seen as an element of cocacolanisation by some in Australia 29 Since 2000 marching and wind bands have not seen a major appearance at an Olympics opening ceremony except for the Hellenic Naval Band during the entrance of the Presidents in the Athens ceremony and an appearance from the Gunthorpe Colliery Band during the Pandemonium segment of the London ceremony Parade of Nations Edit See also 2000 Summer Olympics national flag bearers Once the Sydney 2000 Olympic Band made their introduction they took their place in front of the ceremony stage and volunteers came out to begin the Parade of Nations Twenty eight of the larger nations entered under a music piece of their country played by the Marching Band e g Land of Hope and Glory was played for Great Britain Sakura Sakura was played for Japan Siyahamba was played for South Africa Born in the USA Stars and Stripes Forever for the United States and Down Under for Australia while smaller countries entered in with various Olympic Anthems Percussion Cadences and The Warriors as a nod to Australian wind band composer Percy Grainger 47 As is Olympic tradition Greece entered first in honour of its position as birthplace of the Olympics and host nation Australia entered last As in the last Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the last Winter Olympics in Nagano the countries entered in English alphabetical order This was also to be seen during the next Olympics in Salt Lake City A record of 199 nations entered the stadium with the exception of Afghanistan a nation banned by the IOC in 1999 because of the extremist rule of the Taliban s oppression on women and its sports 48 49 The parade of nations also featured a unified entrance by the athletes of the North and South Korea holding a specially designed unification flag a white background flag with a blue map of the Korean peninsula however the two teams competed separately 50 7 Four athletes from East Timor marched directly in the opening ceremonies as Individual Olympic Athletes before the host nation Without the existence of the National Olympic Committee they were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag 51 Dare To Dream Edit Veteran pop artists John Farnham and Olivia Newton John 52 walked among the Olympic competitors and performed the theme song Dare to Dream which was written especially for the occasion by award winning songwriters Paul Begaud Vanessa Corish and Wayne Tester Begaud and Corish are regular songwriting collaborators both born and raised in Sydney 53 Opening Addresses Edit After a brief fanfare by David Stanhope the President of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games SOCOG Michael Knight and the President of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch made the opening addresses In Knight s address he spoke to the athletes directly about Australians love for sport that while in the parade the crowd cheered loudest for the home team as it will at the sporting competitions that there is room in our hearts to support all of you wherever you have come from Australians love sport and we admire outstanding skill and courage 54 Samaranch gave a recognition of Indigenous Australians by summarising the artistic section in these words I would like to express our respect to those who have made Australia what it is today a great country with a special tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 7 54 The event was officially opened by Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Sir William Deane This was the first occasion that a Summer Olympics held in a Commonwealth realm was not opened by the monarch or a member of the Royal Family although it was the second overall behind the 1988 Winter Olympics 55 Prime Minister John Howard had originally planned to open the games himself with the agreement of the organising committee and the IOC However in November 1999 he changed his mind and advised the IOC that Deane would be opening the games Howard said this was due to a concern that my opening the Olympic Games would become a party political issue This was a few days after the results of the 1999 Australian republic referendum was known 56 57 I declare open the Games of Sydney celebrating the XXVII Olympiad of the modern era HE The Hon Sir William Deane AC KBE Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia Olympic Flag Edit Then 19 year old pop star Vanessa Amorosi sang Heroes Live Forever to signify the legacy left by sports stars all over the world 52 28 The song was composed by John Gillard and Trevor White During the song an enormous white flag the size of the stadium field was passed over the audience on the southern stand and was brought down over the crowd by volunteers Whilst this happened images of past sports legends were displayed on the flag When the flag reached the athletes a Dove of Peace was projected followed by the Olympic Rings 28 This section was a partial recreation of a scene at the 1992 Summer Olympics opening ceremony where a large Olympic flag covered the athletes 58 The Olympic Flag was then carried around the arena by eight former Australian Olympic champions Bill Roycroft Murray Rose Liane Tooth Gillian Rolton Marjorie Jackson Lorraine Crapp Michael Wenden and Nick Green It was then handed over to eight Australia s Federation Guard members who carried and raised the flag During the raising of the Olympic flag the Olympic Hymn was sung in Greek by the Millennium Choir of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia signifying the large Greek population of Australia The Olympic Oaths were taken by then captain of the Australian Women s Hockey Team Rechelle Hawkes on behalf of the athletes 59 and by Australian Water Polo Referee Peter Kerr on behalf of the officials 60 The Flame Edit See also 2000 Summer Olympics cauldron nbsp The Olympic Flame arriving at its final resting placeFor the first time in recent Olympic history the opening ceremony concluded with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron Tina Arena the Sydney Children s Choir and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performed The Flame 52 while showing archive footage of some highlights of the torch relay on the large screens then cutting to live footage outside the stadium of Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Herb Elliott with the torch 61 Then celebrating 100 years of women s participation in the Olympics 16 former Australian women Olympic champions and medalists Betty Cuthbert and Raelene Boyle 28 Dawn Fraser 62 Shirley Strickland de la Hunty 62 Shane Gould 28 and Debbie Flintoff King 62 brought the torch through the stadium before handing it over to Cathy Freeman 63 Freeman then climbed a long set of stairs towards a circular pool of water She walked into the middle of the water and ignited the cauldron around her feet in a ring of fire The cauldron then rose out from the water above Freeman s head and then was transported up a long waterfall where it finally rested on a tall silver pedestal above the stadium as the ceremony concluded with a fireworks display 7 16 The planned climax to the ceremony was delayed by a technical glitch of a malfunctioned limit switch which also severed the communications cable to override the program 64 This meant that the Olympic flame was suspended in mid air for about four minutes rather than immediately rising up the waterfall to the top of the stadium In interviews after the ceremony the organizers stated that when the cause of the problem was discovered engineers overrode the program and the cauldron continued its course 8 64 20 years later some engineers stated it was fixed through a backup radio signal to the cauldron 65 66 Moreover the gas bottles for the cauldron were close to empty before it was attached to a main gas line and the backup flames were missing 64 Concept Ric Birch Michael Scott Mitchell Segment Director Richard Wherrett Cauldron Designer Michael Scott MitchellMusic EditMain article The Games Of The XXVII Olympiad 2000 Music from the Opening Ceremony Music from the opening ceremony was released as an album that same year Reviews EditThe ceremony was given rave reviews by the local media IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch thought it was a successful opening ceremony giving it a 10 out of 10 67 68 The Sydney Morning Herald said It was daring It was dignified It was witty It was breathtaking in its large scale theatricality 69 Journalist Peter FitzSimons said that the atmosphere at the stadium that night was electric and said of the Artistic section that it was a colourful and colossal kaleidoscope on overdrive with Australia s cultural buttons being played like piano keys in the hands of a master 29 The Sunday Telegraph described it as a truly great moment in Australian history going on to say that about the Awakening segment that it was Australia s global declaration that it acknowledged its indigenous people and cared about their future while feeling considerable regret yes even sorrow about the past John Lombard from ABC News pointed out that having Cathy Freeman be the athlete to light the cauldron was a coup as the extra symbolism of many white Australian born women passing the torch to an Aboriginal athlete hit all the right buttons 68 Foreign press reaction was also very positive The New York Times also noted the themes of reconciliation given the political climate 7 The London Daily Express s Shekhar Bhatia described Webster as the toast of the town and a global sensation 70 London s Daily Telegraph wrote that the four hour spectacle must be classified an unqualified success 70 The only negative review reported at the time was from The Washington Post where Sally Jenkins described the ceremony as traditional expensive and too long as something that a roving band of wild dogs couldn t cure 70 She did go on to say that the lighting of the caldron was almost worth the price of admission due to its symbolism of the nation s reconciliation 71 Legacy EditA major theme in this ceremony was of reconciliation between Australia and the Australian Indigenous nations In the years leading up to the Olympics Indigenous reconciliation was becoming a central social and political issue after the release of the Bringing Them Home report 7 In the ceremony s Media Guide the author notes that 4 months earlier during the Corroboree 2000 reconciliation event 250 000 Australians of all backgrounds walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge as support for recognition of past wrongs towards the First Nations peoples 72 The Awakening segment was critical to the ceremony by showing Indigenous dance and music in its own context for over 11 minutes and in a deep and significant way In later sporting events similar segments were developed for the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and the artistic section of the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony began with the theme of Australian history from an Indigenous point of view 73 In November 2000 the television footage of Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron was declared the sporting image of the year and won a Golden Podum by Sportel a major international sports television convention held annually in Monaco 74 At the first Helpmann Awards the ceremony was awarded Best Special Event Performance Best Sound Design and Best Costume Design for the Deep Sea Dreaming segment and Best Scenic Design for the Awakening segment 75 The Arts Unit of NSW Education played an important role in providing primary and high school children across NSW to perform at Olympic events The Sydney 2000 Olympic Band continues as a secondary public school ensemble in New South Wales Now named the NSW Public Schools Millennium Marching Band the band performs at large scale and televised events in both Australia and overseas The smaller ensemble consisting of around 100 members traveled to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics held in China that year and performed in the United States in 2015 in San Francisco Seattle and Los Angeles 76 77 The Sing 2001 choir continued to perform after the Olympics during major events in 2001 celebrating the Centenary of Federation 78 Television coverage EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it August 2021 Around 3 7 billion viewers from 220 countries watched the ceremony on TV 4 Viewership across Asia was double compared to the opening ceremony in Atlanta 79 Host Broadcaster Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation SOBO Director Peter Faiman nbsp Australia Seven Network provided Australia s live broadcast of the Opening Ceremony which began at 6 30pm AEDT with half an hour of preparations live at the stadium 20 Hosts and commentators included Bruce McAvaney Gary Wilkinson and Sandy Roberts Added narration and commentary for the Indigenous segment Awakening was Wajarri actor and TV personality Ernie Dingo 63 There was one short ad break was during the Marching Band segment AC Nielsen reported a peak audience of over 10 4 million viewers not counting those watching from big screen sites 80 nbsp New Zealand TVNZ viewers experienced a technical problem with their satellite feed during the Prelude and Welcome segments and therefore did not see the Countdown live Moreover the 1 3 million audience watched the ceremony on a short tape delay so to allow for cuts to commercial breaks This meant that the lighting of the cauldron was shown 40 minutes after the event happened 81 nbsp United Kingdom BBC Television and Radio 5 Live covered the ceremony from 9am BST BBC1 showed the coverage until 1pm when the coverage moved to BBC2 due to the overrun coverage Steve Rider and Sue Barker hosted and Barry Davies was the commentator for the ceremony 82 4 million watched the ceremony which was a 53 share in the UK 83 nbsp United States As general practice in the United States NBC tape delayed the ceremonies so it would air in primetime in the United States as live programming would be aired during the early morning AC Nielsen reported a peak audience of over 27 2 million viewers 84 See also Edit2000 Summer Olympics 2000 Summer Olympics closing ceremony 1982 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremonyReferences EditCitations Edit a b c Barkham Patrick 15 September 2000 Sydney launches Games with wit flair and symbolism Special reports guardian co uk The Guardian Retrieved 7 March 2021 a b c 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 a b c Friday 15 September 2000 MELBOURNE Television AU 13 August 2013 Retrieved 7 March 2021 a b c Sydney 2000 Relived Opening Ceremony 15 September 2000 Australian Olympic Committee Retrieved 13 February 2021 a b c d Pirrie Michael 15 September 2020 The Opinionist Olympic Movement Celebrates Sydney s Once amp 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 a b c d e f g h Longman Jere 16 September 2000 SYDNEY 2000 THE OVERVIEW Games Open With Ceremony and Tribute The New York Times Retrieved 26 October 2020 a b 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 a b c 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 Miliccia Andrea Protocol at the Olympic Games Protocol Bureau Retrieved 26 October 2020 Birch 2004 p 10 Ellwood Gregory 5 August 2016 Why Olympics opening ceremonies keep getting better Vox Retrieved 26 October 2020 Birch 2004 p 209 West 2000 p 59 a b c Stephens Tony 12 August 2020 From the archives Out of the water a fiery cauldron that will burn in the nation s memory The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 5 November 2020 Birch 2004 p 239 Birch 2004 p 248 Abrahamson Alan 17 September 2000 IOC Chief s Wife Dies of Cancer Los Angeles Times Retrieved 1 November 2020 a b c d e f g Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Intro YouTube Seven Network Archived from the original on 17 December 2021 Retrieved 2 October 2020 See the video Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length at mark 2 38 36 See the video Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length at mark 1 48 53 See the video Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length at mark 2 05 07 See the video Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length at mark 2 43 06 See the video Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length at mark 3 10 49 Museum of Applied Arts amp Sciences Opening ceremony audience kit plastic paper metal textile designed and made for distribution to audience members at the Opening Ceremony for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games 2000 Museum of Applied Arts amp Sciences Australia Retrieved 2 October 2020 West 2000 p 17 a b c d e Cazeneuve Brian 15 September 2012 Opening secrets CNN Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on 19 August 2012 Retrieved 9 November 2020 a b c d Peter Fitzsimons 16 September 2000 15 years ago today the world watched in awe as the Sydney 2000 Games began The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 26 October 2020 Ferin Roy FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION PDF HSC 2001 Music 2 Standards Pack NSW Education Standards Authority Retrieved 25 April 2022 Simone Young Australian Media Centre Retrieved 31 October 2020 Neubauer Ian Lloyd 26 May 2013 Spectacular scenes at Sydney festival CNN Retrieved 1 November 2020 Keoghan Sarah 15 August 2020 Nikki Webster 20 years on How the opening ceremony changed everything The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 17 January 2021 a b c d e f g h i j k Foley Brett 16 September 2000 From the archives Seven secrets of the opening ceremony The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 5 November 2020 Dorsett Jesse 13 September 2020 Twenty years on one Yolngu elder recalls his leading role in the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony ABC News Online ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 29 September 2020 Robers Rhoda Djakapurra Munyarryun ABC Radio National ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 30 October 2020 Parke Erin 4 December 2016 Aboriginal people move to reclaim art that sparked extra terrestrial theory ABC News Online ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 13 July 2021 West 2000 pp 25 27 Birch 2004 p 262 Birch 2004 p 265 The Tin Symphony Archived from the original on 10 November 2014 Retrieved 2 September 2018 a b Tooth Gerald 11 January 2000 Australia s Olympic band marches on ABC AM Archive Retrieved 25 September 2020 The Man from Snowy River Arena Spectacular programme Museum of Applied Arts amp Sciences Performance costume Marching Band fabric leather metal designed by Kristian Fredrikson made by Driza bone used in the Opening Ceremony of Olympic Games Sydney 2000 Museum of Applied Arts amp Sciences Australia Retrieved 9 October 2020 Shaw John 14 July 1999 OLYMPICS A Controversy Plays On but Will the Band The New York Times The New York Times Retrieved 9 October 2020 Amor Mike Seven News Melbourne HSV 7 September 15 2000 FULL BULLETIN YouTube Seven Network Archived from the original on 17 December 2021 Retrieved 2 October 2020 West 2000 p 43 Eligible for Athens Afghanistan welcomed back into IOC fold Sports Illustrated CNN 29 June 2003 Archived from the original on 27 March 2005 Retrieved 11 September 2013 Robbins Liz 7 June 2004 OLYMPICS Unveiling New Face of Afghan Freedom The New York Times Retrieved 9 November 2020 Olympic spirit North South Koreans march together in Ceremonies Sports Illustrated CNN 14 September 2000 Archived from the original on 21 September 2013 Retrieved 20 September 2013 Hersh Phillip 9 September 2000 Four Participants In Sydney Wear Individual Olympic Athletes Badges They re From Devastated East Timor And Their Presence Embodies The Games True Spirit Chicago Tribune Retrieved 20 September 2013 a b c Relive the magic of Sydney 2000 as one year countdown to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 begins TV Blackbox 22 July 2020 Retrieved 8 November 2020 Kruger Debbie Paul Begaud Debbie Kruger APRA Retrieved 4 June 2021 a b Korporaal Glenda 2000 Opening ceremony of the Sydney Games by Glenda Korporaal Olympic Library Retrieved 26 January 2021 Queen out of favour for Sydney Olympics BBC News 9 February 1999 Retrieved 17 December 2008 PM agrees to allow GG to open the Olympics Australian Broadcasting Corporation 11 November 1999 Howard explains Olympics backflip Australian Broadcasting Corporation 11 November 1999 West 2000 p 51 Barker Philip 15 September 2020 Hawkes recalls nerves of Olympic oath two decades on from Sydney 2000 www insidethegames biz Retrieved 8 November 2020 Hall of Fame Water Polo Australia waterpoloaustralia com au Water Polo Australia Retrieved 12 October 2020 Overington Caroline Attwood Alan Perkins Corrie 16 September 2000 The spectacular opening of the Sydney Olympics The Age Fairfax Media Retrieved 16 February 2022 a b c Holmes Tracey 27 December 2019 Two Olympic champions were missing from the Sydney Games and 20 years on it still hurts www abc net au Retrieved 26 January 2021 a b Jackson Russell 11 October 2016 Retro live blog re living Sydney s 2000 Olympic opening ceremony The Guardian Australia Retrieved 26 October 2020 a b c Grafton Julius 28 September 2020 Cauldron almost kills resoundingly successful ceremony CX Network Connections 81 October 2000 Retrieved 15 February 2021 Sydney 2000 lighting of the Olympic cauldron presented by Seven Network Seven Network YouTube Archived from the original on 17 December 2021 Retrieved 25 September 2020 Hair Jonathan 14 September 2020 How the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening ceremony came within a hair s breadth of disaster ABC News Online ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation Retrieved 1 October 2020 Stephens Tony 12 August 2020 From the archives Sydney s perfect 10 The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 5 November 2020 a b Australia basks in success of Sydney ceremony that accepted its past The Irish Times 18 September 2000 Retrieved 9 October 2020 In the Herald September 16 2000 Sydney Morning Herald 16 September 2015 Retrieved 1 October 2020 a b c Jenkins pens some poison The Sun Herald 17 September 2000 Jenkins Sally 16 September 2000 Someone Needs to Get a Rein on This Parade The Washington Post Retrieved 5 November 2020 Jopson Debra Stephens Tony 29 May 2000 From the Archives 2000 Bridge Walk for Reconciliation attracts thousands The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Retrieved 2 October 2020 Rowe David 14 September 2020 The Sydney Olympics How did the best games ever change Australia The Conversation Retrieved 2 October 2020 Cathy s first block of glory wins TV gold The Sydney Morning Herald 22 November 2000 p 2 Australian Web Archive 2001 Helpmann Awards Winners Australian Entertainment Industry Association AEIA Australian Web Archive Archived from the original on 17 July 2003 Retrieved 15 February 2012 Millennium Marching Band 2015 USA Tour Highlights The Arts Unit Retrieved 9 October 2020 Cooper Dani And the winner is public education NSW Education Retrieved 25 September 2020 McDougall Wendy 2001 1 photograph b amp w image and text 18 0 x 22 6 cm on sheet 25 2 x 30 9 cm Spectators enjoy the beautiful sound of the 500 voice Sing 2001 Choir 27th October 2001 Tenterfield Centenary of Federation celebrations Tenterfield 2001 nla obj 146630296 retrieved 25 September 2020 via Trove Global TV Broadcast sets records for Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Broadcast International Olympic Committee Press Release 13 December 2000 Retrieved 13 February 2021 Ceremony tops ratings The Sun Herald 17 September 2000 Daniels Chris TVNZ owns up to stopping the Olympic clock NZ Herald Retrieved 4 February 2021 Davies Barry Barry Davies Olympic Moments Sydney panic BBC Sport Retrieved 4 February 2021 Arlidge John 1 October 2000 Battered BBC wins Olympic race the Guardian Retrieved 4 February 2021 2000 Sydney Olympics U S Primetime TV Ratings www nielsen com Retrieved 9 November 2020 Bibliography Edit West D 2000 Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXVII Olympiad in Sydney 15 September 2000 Media Guide SOGOC Birch Ric 2004 Master of the Ceremonies An eventful life Sydney Allen amp Unwin ISBN 978 1 74114 417 8 Retrieved 18 February 2021 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony The Official Report of the XXVII Olympiad Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Australian Special Events Sydney 2000 Opening Ceremony Full Length on YouTube Portals nbsp Olympics nbsp Australia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony amp oldid 1177709755, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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