Mar 29, 2024

Tiësto performs at the Opening Ceremony

Published Aug 14, 2004

Tiësto, twice voted the #1 DJ in the world by DJ Magazine, made Olympic history on Friday, August 13, when he became the first DJ ever to perform in an Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Some four billion people were watching the planet's premier sporting event, when the 28th Olympiad of the modern era opened in Greece, the land where the Olympics were born, and the City where they were revived 108 years ago.

I am honored to be to be part of the biggest sports event in the world.

No DJ has ever performed at the Olympic Games. Tiesto used Pioneer's DJM-600 and CDJ-1000s as some of his gear to perform his 90 minute trance set that mesmerized the 55,000 attendees.

The President of the ATHENS 2004 Organizing Committee, Mrs. Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, heralded the announcement of Tiësto’s participation, saying: “We welcome him to Athens.”

In October 2003, Tiësto was approached by the Athens Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (ATHOC) for a DJ-performance of 90 minutes during the parade of the athletes, a part of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

During the parade, all participating nations introduced their athletes, over 10,000 in total. ATHOC has shown it values art and innovation by asking the most popular DJ on Earth to produce the music for the parade.

Tiësto performed his DJ-set live included newly tracks produced especially for the Opening Ceremony and songs that have been tailored to compliment the spirit of the Ceremony. Tiesto played about two hours of nonstop dance music as the world's athletes took their first steps onto the world's biggest stage. It was the first time a DJ has had such a role at the games.

It was a party atmosphere, with many athletes dancing their way into the stadium and rushing toward the video cameras spread around the track.

Tiësto said, “I am honored to be to be part of the biggest sports event in the world. The fact that the Games are returning to their birthplace and to the city where they were revived makes Athens 2004 very special. The opportunity to perform my music for billions of people around the globe will be the greatest highlight of my life.”

Comments on this page are closed.

Browse more...

DJ Tools

DJchat.com

"DJChat. I don't know where I would have been without the forum."

DJ Brian B

More Quotes

Subscribe