2021 Olympics Opening Ceremony: Getty Images Photo gallery

The best photos from the 2021 Olympics Opening Ceremony. 

The Olympics are finally back! Nothing is quite like Olympics time and nothing kicks off that feeling better than the moving and historic Olympics Opening Ceremony and this year was no different. The games hold a bit more of a special meaning this year dues to the hardships the entire wold has faced due to the coronavirus. Nothing brings people together quite like a global pandemic.

In case you missed it, the 2021 Olympics Opening Ceremony took place on Friday from Tokyo, Japan. Quite a few things were different this year, including the absence of fans in the stands. But, many were watching around the world.

Here are some of the best images from the emotional ceremony, courtesy of Getty Images.

2021 Olympics Opening Ceremony photo gallery

Commentary provided by Getty photographers and editors.

Yesterday, our team of photographers were positioned to shoot at specific locations throughout the stadium. As an additional vantage point, I was looking for fireworks angles outside the stadium to showcase the atmosphere and vibrancy of the opening ceremonies. As a photographer, I’m always looking to capture the perfect moment, and this angle in front of the Olympic rings, really embodies the beauty and awe of the spectacle. – Lintao Zhang

This image showcases Naomi Osaka approaching the cauldron to light the Olympic flame to close the opening ceremonies. The dramatic lighting and dark backdrop ensured all eyes were on Osaka to mark the official start of competition. The procession of the flame into the stadium included Japanese Olympians of years past and led up to Osaka to represent the now and future of sport. I can’t wait to see what Osaka does to represent her home country of Japan this year and in future Olympic Games. As a photographer, this moment signified it was game time for me as the Olympic Games were officially underway! – Maddie Meyer

Yesterday, our team of photographers were positioned to shoot at specific locations throughout the stadium. As an additional vantage point, I was looking for fireworks angles outside the stadium to showcase the atmosphere and vibrancy of the opening ceremonies. As a photographer, I’m always looking to capture the perfect moment, and this angle in front of the Olympic rings, really embodies the beauty and awe of the spectacle. – Cameron Spencer

Another main job of covering the ground level at the opening ceremony, is capturing the artists on stage. Being so close allows me to get unique angles that not many others can get. In this photo, I was initially hiding behind the stage and after the stage team brought out the piano, I slowly moved out of the dark to find a good spot to capture Hiromi Uehara’s incredible piano performance. Her facial expression says it all and made all the hiding and kneeling from TV cameras worth it. – Matthias Hangst

My shooting position for the opening ceremonies was documenting each team’s entrance. It was an exciting assignment, getting to see the all the joy, excitement and pride when the athletes first walked out. Despite these opening ceremonies being different from year’s past, it was a historic and special moment to witness. We may never see athletes wearing masks at an Olympic Games ever again, so I knew photographs like this will be able to forever tell the history of this major event. – Patrick Smith

For yesterday’s opening ceremony, I was assigned to cover the “field of play” or ground level of the stadium. A very limited number of photographers can be on the ground level for this event, which comes with a lot of responsibility. Photographers must dress in all black, so we were not visible for the TV cameras and we aren’t allowed to roam around whenever we want. Every move needs to be planned and coordinated, in order to not disturb the show happening. For that reason, we are also guided by a photo manger. It’s an exciting spot to be in however, because you are much closer to the festivities and people on stage, as well as the athletes. I was assigned to capture the walk-ins of the athletes during the parade of nations, so I was knelt down at the end of the parade between the dancers. This position gave me the option to be closer to the teams as you can see in this frame. Team USA had just come in with a lot of team members and this group saw us with our lenses and started to smile and pose with a ton of excitement. – Matthias Hangst

In this photo, Team Tonga made their grand entrance, with flag bearers Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua leading the team in. Taufatofua is well-known from past Olympic Games for his shirtless entrance and this was his third straight Olympics doing so. He did not disappoint because all eyes and lenses were on Taufatofua as he celebrated his country and start of the Games.

-Patrick Smith

I was very fortunate to be part of the Getty Images team of eight sport photographers who got to shoot the opening ceremony, and it was a fantastic spectacle to witness the opening of the Olympic Games. This photo is from the opening sequence, where dancers weaved in and out of lights projected on the floor of the stadium which was full of color, movement and expression. – Laurence Griffiths