The opening ceremony took place in the Maracanã Stadium on 5 August 2016, and was directed by Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Thomas and Andrucha Waddington.
The ceremony highlighted aspects of Brazilian history and culture, and featured a segment narrated by Fernanda Montenegro and Judi Dench with an appeal to environmental conservation and preventing global warming.
The ceremony also featured the inaugural presentation of the Olympic Laurel, an honor bestowed by the IOC to those that have made "significant achievements in education, culture, development and peace through sport", to Kipchoge "Kip" Keino.
The Games were officially opened by Acting President of Brazil Michel Temer.
The Olympic cauldron was lit by Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, the men's marathon bronze medalist at the 2004 Summer Olympics who was also awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship by the IOC after being attacked by a spectator and losing his lead.