Rio Olympics 2016: Best pictures from the opening ceremony

The 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony kicked off at the Marcana stadium in Rio de Janerio with a stunning celebration of Brazilian culture.

This Olympics will be feauturing the refugee team for the first time and Kenyan great Kipchoge Keino ws awarded the first Olympic Laurel in honour of his notable contributions.

The 80,000-seater stadium was less than two thirds. At one point, the entire of the stadium was transformed into an otherworldly landscape as huge moving sculptures of microbes moved across the floor.

The stadium became a forest floor and people of the native tribes of Brazil, in traditional dress, performed a choreographed dance with the fibre optic lights to recreate tribal art. In the end, Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima lit the Olympic cauldron for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Let us take a look at some best pictures from the opening ceremony.

#1 The Christ the Redeemer statue was lit with special lights by French artist Gaspare Di Caro

Lighting up one of the seven wonders of the world

#2 The countdown

Performers created geometric patterns on the floor to kick start the opening ceremony

#3 Fireworks in display at the start of the opening ceremony

Looks like the ceremony is taking place under the Sun

#4 The fireworks at the Maracana stadium was a real treat to our eyes

The fireworks were fantastic at the opening ceremony

#5 Time for some love and peace

The love and peace symbol including environment is at display at the Maracana

#6 The Brazilian forest

A Brazilian forest was created on the floor and the artists performed on it

#7 The Brazilian tribal dance

A dance with the fibre optic lights on the forest floor to recreate the Brazilian tribal art

#8 Arrival of the outsiders

Scenes of the Portuguese invading Brazil in the past. The Africans, Arabs, Japanese followed them

#9 The densely populated areas around Brazil

A set revealing the densely populated areas around Brazil

#10 The patchwork country

The patchwork country is represented here

#11 Not sure whether it’s Olympics opening ceremony or Google maps

Google maps? or the Olympics opening ceremony?

#12 Behind the scenes

Athletes’ parade took place with the faces of these legends in the background

#13 Olympics is all about respecting the rival

Gymnasts from North and South Korea take a selfie together

#14 The most decorated Olympian of all-time

Micheal Phelps, the most decorated olympian of all-time leads the USA contingent out

#15 Olympic rings in the sky

Olympic rings explode in the sky after the athletes parade

#16 Green Olympics

The olympic rings were displayed in green and one can expect Rio 2016 to be a green olympics

#17 All in one

Over 11,000 athletes in a single frame

#18 Stand up for the refugees

The Refugee Olympic Team making their debut at Olympics

#19 The Olympic laurel

Kenyan great Kipchoge Keino was awarded the first Olympic Laurel, in honour of his notable contributions

#20 Let the games begin

Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima lit the Olympic cauldron for the 2016 Rio Olympics