Torch Relay

On Day 99 of the Torch Relay for The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000, the Olympic Flame travelled from the western suburb of Concord to Sydney. The Torch had finally arrived in the Harbour City and what a welcome it got!

On it’s way to Sydney Town Hall where Day 99 of the relay was to conclude, the Flame, which was carried by Olivia Newton-John, was relayed to Pat Rafter at the Northern Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House. At that moment, a fireworks display commenced from the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the iconic ‘Olympic Rings’ Bridge Effect was turned on for the 1st time!

The Sydney Opera House even had a projection show occurring during all this! From Pat Rafter, the Flame was then relayed to Johanna Griggs to continue the Relay to Sydney Town Hall. This was the beginning of one of the most successful sporting events ever to be held – the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Footage: ‘Follow The Flame’ – a Network 7 production – Hosted by Georgie Gardner & Mark Beretta with special guest Greg Norman with crossovers to presenters Melissa Doyle & Monique Wright.

Opening Ceremony

You can also watch it immediately via The Olympic Channel website.

We will try and ask the International Olympic Committee to allow an embed to work on our site.

The Opening Ceremony technically is not a ‘Sydney Spectacular’ (The Closing Ceremony was though). However, it did show the global popular culture influence Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) had just developed on the world when the finale of the Sydney NYE1999 – Sydney’s Millennium Midnight Fireworks (which was only held 9 months prior) was recreated using pyrotechnics (at 01:19:02)

The organisers of both of those events (NYE & Olympic Ceremonies) was Ric Birch’s Spectak Productions.