Thousands of drones create ‘vision for the world’ at Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics was different than most years — with athletes masked and spectators minimal — but even amid the coronavirus pandemic, more than 200 nations came together to compete.
A light show-esque arrangement of 1,800 drones, which came together to look like the earth, hovered above the Japanese capital.
“Today” show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie described the display as a “celestial body hovering over Tokyo in a moment, in a vision for the world,” during NBC’s coverage of the ceremony.
The stunning view was followed by a performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” arranged by Hans Zimmer, and featuring the likes of John Legend, Keith Urban, Beninese singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo, as well as Spanish performer Alejandro Sanz and the Suginami Children’s Choir.
“You did not even know whether this competition would take place at all. ... And today, you are making your Olympic dream come true. You are true Olympic athletes,” International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said at the ceremony. “We are standing in solidarity to make the Games happen.
“Only because of this solidarity, we can be here tonight. Solidarity also reflects our 3,000 year-old commitment to peace. Without solidarity, there is no peace,” continued the former Olympic fencer.
“In this Olympic community, we’re all equal. We respect the same rules. This Olympic experience makes all of us very humble because we feel that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. We are part of an event that unites the world — united in all of our diversity, we become bigger than the sum of our parts.”
