The best moments from Olympic Opening Ceremonies over the years

Australian freestyle skiers Jakara Anthony and Matt Graham led 51 other Australian athletes into the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on February 6, 2026.

Notably, this year was the second-largest Winter Australian Olympic team ever, with 27 of the athletes making their Winter Olympics debut.

Paddler Jessica Fox and hockey veteran Eddie Ockenden waved the Australian flag tall and proud during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Despite some rain, you couldn’t wipe the smile off their faces!

Hundreds of thousands of onlookers lined the banks of the River Seine to watch the Parade of Nations for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Despite being at the beginning of the alphabet, Australia joined the parade third from last due to hosting the Brisbane Olympics in 2032, followed by Los Angeles in 2028 and, of course, Paris in 2024.

While the Coronavirus pandemic was still very much a concern, we are sure Team Australia was still all smiles under their face masks at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Figure skater Brendan Kerry and aerial skier Laura Peel shared the duties of flag-bearer for the occasion. This year was notable as the 43-strong contingent secured Australia’s greatest-ever Winter Olympic medal haul with one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.

Despite the over-arching threat of COVID-19, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games finally commenced on July 23, 2021, with an Opening Ceremony held at Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.

Donned in a uniform that features white with elements of the iconic green and gold, basketball player Patty Mills and swimmer Cate Campbell lead the Australian delegation.

For his third Winter Olympics, snowboarder Scotty James was given the responsibility of holding Australia’s flag for the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

He was joined by 49 of his fellow Australian winter sport athletes who collectively competed across 10 sports, securing one bronze and two silver medals in the process.

Track cyclist Anna Meares (Australia’s Olympic and Paralympic Chef de Mission) leads Team Australia onto the field of Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2016 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Alex ‘Chumpy’ Pullin led Team Australia into the Fisht Olympic Stadium on 8 February 2014 for the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in Russia.

While he failed to secure a medal of his own, Team Australia took home two silver medals and one bronze medal.

From basket-baller Lauren Jackson carrying the Aussie flag with pride, to boxer Damien Hooper displaying a message saying ‘I love you Nan’ at the Opening Ceremony, there was plenty to smile about as Team Australia arrived at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics.

Members of the national men’s basketball team (the Boomers), Adam Gibson, Joseph Ingles, and Patrick Mills, could barely contain their excitement as they walked across the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012.

Members of Team Australia show off messages penned onto their hands during the Parade of Nations at the Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

As Australia’s most successful Winter Olympian, it came as no surprise that snowboarder Torah Bright led the Australian delegation into the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

That year, she won a gold medal in the halfpipe event, which she backed up with a silver medal four years later in Sochi.

For the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008, Australian athletes ditched their signature green and gold for a blue uniform worn to the Opening Ceremony, held at the National Stadium of China on 8 August.

James Tomkins of the Australian Olympic rowing team was given the honour of being the flag-bearer for this year. While Beijing was his last Olympics, James remains one of four people in the world to have rowed at six Olympic Games. Between 1988 and 2008, he won three gold and one bronze medal.

Gold medal-winning aerial skier Alisa Camplin carried Australia’s flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games held in Italy.

The athletes sure look cosy in their official uniforms!

Team Australia waves to the crowd as they walk onto the field of the Sports Complex Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Greece.

For the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, freestyle skier Adrian Costa carried the Australian flag and led the delegation from down under across the field of the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

After incredible success in World Championship running events, proud Kuku-yalanji and Birri-gubba woman Cathy Freeman was given the honour of lighting the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

She went on to make history, winning Australia’s 100th Olympic medal by securing gold in the 400m women’s running final.

Nikki Webster was just 13 years old when she performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Here she is pictured alongside Yolngu elder Djakapurra Munyarryan, who carried a sacred dillybag while he guided Nikki on a journey through Australia’s past, including traditional dances and songs from Aboriginal culture.

Boomers basketball team member Andrew Gaze led the Australian contingent of athletes as flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Entering the stadium last, 632 Australian athletes (the most we have ever sent to an Olympic Games) were greeted by 110,000 spectators who cheered them on from home soil.

Ultimately, Australia won 58 medals, finishing fourth on the medal tally behind the United States, Russia, and China.

Performers gather at Sydney Olympic Park during the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to create a map of Australia.

Team Australia is pictured here tipping their hats off to the crowd and waving hello as they take part in the Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

Here, the Australian contingent of athletes are pictured tipping their hats off to the thousands seated inside the Montjuic Olympic Ceremony during the Opening Ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Speed ice skater Danny Kah carried the Olympic flag for Australia at the 1992 Winter Olympics, which took place in Albertville, France.

There were two Olympics in 1984! Here at the Summer Games held in Los Angeles, Australian athletes are pictured waving to the crowds gathered inside the Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

Don’t the girls look dazzling in green and gold? And the boys look dapper in their akubras as well!

At the XIV Olympic Winter Games, the Australian contingent of athletes was led by flag bearer Colin Coates. Here they are pictured marching into the Opening Ceremony in the Sarajevo Olympic Stadium.

The Australian contingent takes part in the Parade of Nations at the XX Olympiad, led by flag bearer Dennis Green.

In 1956, Melbourne hosted the Summer Games – the first time the Olympics had ever been held in Australia. Here, junior mile record holder Clarke is pictured running the Olympic torch into the now-demolished Olympic Park Stadium during the Opening Ceremony.

Ron Clarke pictured lighting the Olympic torch at the 17th Olympic Games.

This is one of the earliest photos ever captured of the Australian Olympic Team and was taken just prior to the opening ceremony of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games.

34 athletes, all of whom were men, competed in what was at the time the largest contingent ever sent to the Olympics. From that number, these athletes won three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.

The very first photo, from the very first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The Panathenaic Stadium was built on the site of the ancient stadium that was originally used for the games of the Panathenaea.

Notably, it is the only stadium in the world made completely of marble. An estimated 80,00 spectators filled the stadium to watch the Opening Ceremony.

Alongside Greece, Australia is the only country to have competed in every single Summer Olympic Games of the modern era since 1896.