Baku 2015 Opening Ceremony Featuring Lady Gaga Costs Nearly $100m; Bach Praises Games
June 15, 2015
The opening ceremony of the inaugural European Games in Baku on Friday cost $95m in total, cheao sale government officials confirmed.
Friday’s ceremony at Baku’s Olympic Stadium featured a one-song guest appearance by international popstar Lady Gaga – who according to AP hid in a hotel in the city for four days prior to her performance.
Azerbaijan Sports Minister Azad Rahimov said: “There are some invoices still to be paid, pills but the cost will be about 100 million manat ($95m).
“All the efforts which were made over the last two years have yielded good results. There has been a very positive impression in general and we are very glad”.
The cost is almost double that of the budget for the opening ceremony of the most recent Olympic Games in London which was $42m.
Along with a host of pyrotechnics and displays of Azeri culture, erectile the spectacle as a whole was praised by International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach who visited the Games and also spoke highly of the “power of sport” to transcend politics.
“We see Russian athletes competing alongside Ukrainians. There are Serbian and Kosovan teams in these Games, and we see Armenian athletes alongside their hosts from Azerbaijan. All these athletes marched together at the Opening Ceremony.
“This is the power of sport to bring people together regardless of background, belief or nationality. This is something that sport can do, and maybe something that only sport can do.”
Not in attendance were members of the media from The Guardian and German ARD television after they were barred from entering Azerbaijan.
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