Olympic Games

The Olympic Opening Ceremony

The first opening ceremonies were held during the 1908 Olympic Games in London.
At the 1908 London Games, for the first time, athletes march into the stadium behind their nations' flags.
During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, the procession of athletes is always led by the Greek team, followed by all the other teams in alphabetical order (in the language of the hosting country), except for the last team which is always the team of the hosting country.
At the opening ceremony, the Olympic flag is raised while the Olympic hymn is played. The torch relay arrives and the flame is lit. The Olympic Oath and Creed is also said.