1956 Melbourne Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
1956 Stockholm - Rome 1960

The Games of the XVI Olympiad

Melbourne, Australia
1956

The Olympic Cauldron at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

• First Olympic Games in Oceania
• First Olympic Games in the Southern Hemisphere
• First Time Three Olympic Games Contested in the Same Year (Winter, Equestrian, Summer)
• First Marching Band in Formation
• Most Nations Participating (72) - previous Helsinki 1952 (69)

Olympic Torch Relay Records

italics indicate records at the time

• First to Use Two Different Torch Designs (the final torch was unique to the other torches)
• Longest Torch Relay - 17,412km (previous Helsinki 1952 4,735km)

Opening Ceremony

Melbourne Cricket Ground (104,000)
November 22, 1956

Video

Opening Ceremony Highlights

Following the Winter Olympics of 1956 and the Equestrian Games of 1956, the Summer Olympics in Melbourne would mark the third Olympic Games contested within the same year.  This is the only time this has occurred.  These ceremonies were likely influenced by the Stockholm ceremony early in the summer in that a 20-minute music display was added to the ceremony.  Still at this time, the Parade of Nations was seen as the premiere event of the ceremony, and much attention was given to keep the athletes from switching step.  Nevertheless, these ceremonies, like Stockholm 1956, would make an artistic display of the Olympic Rings.  For this, the marching band performed several numbers and in the Olympic Report it states that the moment that received the greatest applause was when the band formed the Olympic Rings in performance.  This may seem like a small event, but the Report also semi-apologizes because they added an element to the ceremony that was not agreed to by the IOC.  Nevertheless, Stockholm in 1912 and 1956 jump-started these artistic elements into the Olympic Ceremony. 

• Display of Marching Bands
• Duke of Edinburgh arrives in car
• National Anthem performed
• 220 member band of the Australian Army performs (making Olympic rings)
• Parade of Nations (band plays marches)
• Games declared open by the Duke of Edinburgh
• Olympic Fanfare by Hicks performed, Olympic Flag raised, 5,000 pigeons released, 21 gun salute
• Olympic Flame enters the stadium and the Olympic Cauldron is lit by Ron Clarke (19 year-old prominent long distance runner, future Bronze medalist in the 1964 Olympics in 10,000 meter race)
• Olympic Hymn is performed by 1,200 person chorus and band
• Prayer
• Hallelujah Chorus performed by choir and band
• Olympic Oath
• National Anthem performed by band and choir

Photos

Gold Medal from the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne

Olympic Torch version 1 - used as the primary torch for the relay

Olympic Torch from 1956 - used to light the Olympic Cauldron

Official Poster of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics

The Melbourne Cricket Grounds during the Parade of Nations at the Olympic Opening Ceremony

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1956 Stockholm Equestrian Games Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
1952 Helsinki         Melbourne 1956

The Equestrian Games of the XVI Olympiad

Stockholm, Sweden
1956

Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

• First Games to Feature One Sport (Equestrian - due to animal quarantine in Australia, Summer Games host)
• First Opening Ceremony to Feature the Parade of Nations on Horseback
• First Athlete's Oath Taken on Horseback
• First Olympic Cauldron Lit on Horseback
• First Ceremony to Light Three Olympic Cauldrons at the Olympic Stadium
• First Official Dance Display at an Opening Ceremony (the mass play of the 1936 Olympics occurred immediately following the opening ceremony, however this was part of the official program, breaking IOC ceremonial protocol)

Olympic Torch Relay Records

italics indicate records at the time

• First Olympic Cauldron Lit on Horseback
• First Ceremony to Light Three Olympic Cauldrons at the Olympic Stadium

Opening Ceremony

Stockholms Olympiastadion (21,000)

June 10, 1956

Video

Opening Ceremony Highlights

Despite being one of the smallest opening ceremonies in terms of attendance (21,000), the Equestrian Games Ceremonies of 1956 were pivotal in the evolution of the modern Olympic Ceremony.  Stockholm was awarded host of the equestrian events in 1956 because Australia (host of the Summer Olympics) had an animal quarantine and the events involving horses could not be staged in Australia.  So, an entire Olympic Games was held in Stockholm, with its own medals, torch relay, and ceremonies for the equestrian events.  The Opening Ceremonies were important to the artistic evolution of the games because it staged the first mass artistic displays (Swedish folk dancing) since Berlin 1936.  Just as the Stockholm games of 1912, these were very grand and elaborate - something that the summer games were lacking since Hitler's egoistic explosion in 1936.  It was very unique in that the parade of nations was entirely on horseback and the cauldron was lit on horseback.  Most importantly, the Official Report above details in the Swedish portion that the cauldrons on the stadiums towers were indeed lit during the 1912 Olympics.  This would seem to certify that the first Olympic Flame occurred in 1912, not in 1928 as the International Olympic Committee determined.  You read it here first! Here is the order of ceremony:

• King and Queen of Sweden arrive with the Queen of England to the stadium in carriage procession
• Cheers for "God Save the King" chanted
• Choir and crowd sing King "Kungssången"
• Royal Bands, one band on horseback, perform marches
• The Olympic Flag arrives through the Marathon Gates of the stadium - carried by 6 riders on horseback
• Parade of Nations on horseback (several racehorses get very startled, an American is thrown off his horse, both were ok)
• King of Sweden declares the games open
• Fanfare "Kungarop" from Marcia Carolus Rex blasted from the stadium towers as was done in 1912, and Olympic Hymn by Spisak performed by the choir, 21 gun salute, and 1,000 pigeons released
• Olympic Flame enters the stadium and the first cauldron is lit on horseback by Hans Wikne (captain of the Swedish Cavalry) then Karin Lindberg (1952 Gold Medal winner in Gymnastics) and Henry Erikkson (1948 Gold Medal winner in the 1500 meter race) light the beacons at the top of the two stadium towers.
• Bells toll
• Prayer
• Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Fourth Mvt. performed by band and choir
• Fanfare
• Olympic Oath
• Swedish National Anthem sung
• 400 dancers perform Swedish folk dances, forming a giant human version of the Olympic rings

Photos

Gold Medal from the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

Olympic Torch from the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm 

Official Poster of the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

The 1956 Olympic Cauldron at the Equestrian Games of Stockholm 

Swedish Folk Dancing at the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

OLYMPIC CEREMONY DATABASE

SUMMER

1896 1900 1904 Intercalated 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952
1956 Equestrian 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

WINTER

1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 20141980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006
2010 2014 2018