When is the 2021 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony taking place?
The themes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games opening and closing ceremony are: Peace, Coexistence, Reconstruction, Involvement and The Future.
With the news that spectators will not be allowed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games due to a surge in Covid-19 cases across Japan and particularly in the capital, many have requested that the event should be called off altogether. Sadly, there will be no fans in attendance in what many of us were expecting to be one of the most visually spectacular Olympics in recent memory. Hopefully it will live up to some of the expectation, in spite of all the setbacks.
No spectators at 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games
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Tokyo Olympic Torch relay cancelled
The Olympic torch relay reached Tokyo on Friday but without runners or spectators - 24 hours after it was announced that the public would not be able to attend events and two weeks before the Games begin.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will start at 20:00 hours local time JST at the Olympic Stadium in Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo on Friday 23 July 2021. That’s 7 am EST in New York, 4 am PST in Los Angeles, 12:00 noon in London and 13:00 hours CEST in Madrid.
Peace, coexistence, involvement, the future...
The Opening Ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Games will be based around a number of key themes.
Peace: To show that commitment to harmony leads to a world which transcends division and conflict To create an opportunity to overcome division and conflict through the coming together of athletes and spectators all over the world. To contribute proactively to building peace through raising awareness of the importance of creating harmony through mutual respect without imposing one’s values on others.
Coexistence: To aspire to a coexistent society which creates new values through the recognition, support and leverage of diversity. To work towards a better society through new values created when different entities come together and work with each other. Reconstruction: To give courage to the world by overcoming natural disasters and persevering to create the next generation. Hold the power of nature in awe, recognising that humankind is also a part of nature. To demonstrate the resilience of the human spirit through the process of reconstruction after natural disasters, and give courage to disaster victims throughout the world.
The Future: To create a starting line for a new, more sustainable, more richly human era. To take advantage of this unique opportunity to inspire hope and dreams for the next 100 years in the youth of the world.
Japan and Tokyo: To cherish the sense of beauty that is a living product of Japan’s and Tokyo’s history
The Athletes: As a festival of sports, create ceremonies where the athletes are central and can participate without stress. The athletes are the leading protagonists of the ceremonies. The opening ceremonies should welcome and inspire the athletes from all over the world, and the closing ceremonies should exalt the strenuous efforts of the athletes during the Games and foster communication that transcends borders.
Involvement: To create opening and closing ceremonies which allow as many people as possible to feel involved in their making. To use technology to include people outside the stadium.
Excitement: To create a once-in-a-lifetime, exciting and exhilarating experience, providing spectators and viewers with an exciting and amazing experience, faithful to the overall concept. To create an opening and closing ceremony that will live on in the memories of everyone, especially children.
2020 Tokyo Olympics Closing Ceremony
The Closing Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will take place at the same venue, the Olympic Stadium in Shinjuku at the same time (20:00 hours local time JST) on Sunday 8 August 2021.