The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 p.m. China Standard Time (UTC+8) on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number in Chinese culture. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and cost over $100 million USD to produce.

• OBS - Olympic Broadcasting Services
• CCTV
• Hu Jintao
• Henry Kissinger
• Barbara Bush
• George H. W. Bush
• George W. Bush
• Laura Bush
• Shimon Peres
• Anne, Princess Royal