Swiss and Austrian roots and traditions were the focal point as UEFA EURO 2008™ got under way with a colourful opening ceremony ahead of the Switzerland-Czech Republic fixture at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.
Memorable experience
The display, conceptually designed by artistic director Martin Arnaud and the Auditoire agency, combined the various elements that will make EURO a memorable experience – the heritage of the two host countries, sport and culture, and UEFA's values of fair play, respect and the joy of football. The 13-minute show featured around 1,000 performers of various nationalities, aged between 14 and 70. Among the images prevalent were Alpine horns and yodellers, the green summer pastures and white winter landscapes of both countries, and the splendour of Lake Constance, bordered by both host nations.
Landscapes
Inspired by modern pixel art, the movements on the field of play of 600 volunteers holding coloured cubes helped create a series of big pictures and landscapes. Most of the performers came from the STV-FSG (Swiss Gymnastic Federation) and the Badischer Tumen Bund (German Gymnastic Federation). The artists included stiltwalkers known as Gangart. The grand finale saw 16 children bearing 16 flags representing each of the EURO participating nations led into the stadium by Miss Switzerland 2007, Amanda Amman, who is half Swiss and half Czech. Thousands of balloons were then released amid a spectacular firework display, rousing the crowd to give a terrific welcome as the two teams took to the field. EURO had begun.
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