--- title: The Best Photos From the Olympics Opening Ceremony description: The 2018 Winter Olympics began in PyeongChang, kicking off the 23rd Winter Games. Here are the best Olympics opening ceremony photos canonical: https://time.com/5141249/olympics-opening-ceremony-photos/ author: Kim Bubello article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-02-09T13:36:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:50:17.178Z article:section: Sports og:title: The Best Photos From the Olympics Opening Ceremony og:description: Athletes from all 92 countries were welcomed og:url: https://time.com/5141249/olympics-opening-ceremony-photos/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc107043c892c6e40/698926e8bc6cfc26543e4f36/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANG-OPENING-RINGS og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Best Photos From the Olympics Opening Ceremony twitter:description: Athletes from all 92 countries were welcomed twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc107043c892c6e40/698926e8bc6cfc26543e4f36/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-opening-ceremony-01.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # See the Best Photos From the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony by [Kim Bubello](https://time.com/author/kim-bubello/) and [Flora Carr](https://time.com/author/flora-carr/) Feb 9, 2018 1:36 PM UTC  View of the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. View of the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.Francois-Cavier Marit—AFP/Getty Images by [Kim Bubello](https://time.com/author/kim-bubello/) and [Flora Carr](https://time.com/author/flora-carr/) Feb 9, 2018 1:36 PM UTC The [2018 Winter Olympics](http://time.com/money/5129181/how-to-watch-2018-winter-olympics-free/) began in PyeongChang on Friday, as the opening ceremony kicked off the 23rd Winter Games. Athletes from all 92 countries, including [competitors from North and South Korea](http://time.com/5095730/north-south-korea-olympics-history/), were welcomed for the Olympics opening ceremony at the [PyeongChang Olympic Stadium](http://time.com/5128627/31-athletes-to-watch-at-the-pyeongchang-winter-olympics/). Leading the United States was [Erin Hamlin](http://time.com/5138951/usa-flag-bearer-olympics-2018-erin-hamlin/), the first U.S. athlete to win an Olympic medal for singles luge. Hamlin raised the flag during the Olympics opening ceremony ahead of 244 American athletes, the largest cohort ever fielded by the U.S. Nearly 3,000 athletes entered the stadium during the opening ceremony. The last nation to enter was Korea, with athletes walking behind a unification flag. Couldn’t get a ticket to the Games? See photos from the Olympics opening ceremony here.  View of the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Francois-Cavier Marit—AFP/Getty Images  Artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games. Daniel Kopatsch—EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock  Fireworks erupt during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Frank Fife—Pool/Getty Images  Performers entertain the fans during the Dance of Peace section of the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Ronald Martinez—Getty Images  Participants form the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Sean M. Haffey—AFP/Getty Images  Performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Matthias Hangst—Getty Images  Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Sean M. Haffey—Getty Images  Dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Sean M. Haffey—Getty Images  Delegations from North Korea and South Korea march under the Korean unification flag during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Valery Sharifulin—TASS/Getty Images  A team name bearer walks into the area during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Jae C. Hong—AP/Shutterstock  Performers entertain the crowd during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Frank Fife—Pool/Getty Images  Performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Richard Heathcote—Getty Images  Former South Korean Olympians carry the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Sean M. Haffey—AFP/Getty Images  A general view as performers entertain during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Richard Heathcote—Getty Images  Performers entertain the crowd during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Richard Heathcote—Getty Images  Flag bearer Erin Hamlin of the United States leads the team in the Parade of Athletes during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Quinn Rooney—Getty Images  Torchbearer with the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Ronald Martinez—Getty Images  Fireworks go off during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Jonathan Nackstrand—AFP/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5141249/olympics-opening-ceremony-photos/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5141249/olympics-opening-ceremony-photos/"},"headline":"See the Best Photos From the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony","datePublished":"2018-02-09T13:36:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:17.178Z","description":"The 2018 Winter Olympics began in PyeongChang, kicking off the 23rd Winter Games. 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