Opening ceremony

[1] Opening ceremonies at significant events such as the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup might involve thousands of participants and be watched worldwide.

It typically involves cutting a ribbon with giant scissors, speeches and presentations by local officials and business owners, and tours of the new facilities.

The ritual originated in the ancient ceremony to open the Cloth Fair at Bartholomew the Great, London.

Since 1133, the Lord Mayor of London would open the fair each year by ceremonially cutting a piece of cloth.

[3] In the case of physical establishments, its grand opening might be preceded by a "soft opening" or "soft launch" in which the establishment begins to operate with little promotion to allow testing of operations, procedures, and facilities.