There’s so much to love about the Olympic Games, but one of the best bits has to be the opening ceremonies. Countries spend a lot of money trying to throw the greatest show the world has ever seen, and they’re often watched by millions (if not billions). Here are some of the best Olympic opening ceremonies of all time.

The Greatest Olympic Opening Ceremonies Of All Time

Beijing - 2008

Ask any Olympic Games fan and they’ll probably tell you that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony was one of the greatest in history. It cost a total of around $100 million and for good reason too. We saw Cirque-style acrobats tumbling across a 60-foot suspended planet, smiley-face fireworks, and human pens. It really was something fantastical!

London - 2012

For those who like a little bit of history and the Royal Family, London 2012 didn’t disappoint. Directed by the famous Danny Boyle, who did films such as Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, we watched as the UK turned from farming land into an industrial hub in the most magical way. Plus, who can forget the Queen and James Bond in that movie short, before parachuting into the stadium? What a show!

The Greatest Olympic Opening Ceremonies Of All Time

Atlanta - 1996

Who can forget one of the best American Olympic opening ceremonies of all time? The pep rally vibe was something that has stuck in our memories forever, but it was one of the quieter moments of the whole thing that really stole the show. Muhammad Ali, who had Parkinson’s at the time, carrying the torch to the cauldron to officially start the games. Simply stunning!

These are just some of the best Olympic opening ceremonies of all time, although we could name many more. Which has been your favorite? We can’t wait until Tokyo 2020 to see what they pull out of the bag!