Nagoya opens 2026 Asian Games with ceremony built around a ‘heart’ motif
Nagoya staged the opening ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games at Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium on September 19, 2026, with organisers centring the presentation on a heart motif. The roughly 110-minute production featured a heart-shaped stage, heart-themed costumes and drones, and concluded with a heart-shaped cauldron being lit.
The ceremony was presented before packed stands at the completely rebuilt, rechristened 35,000-capacity Paloma Mizuho Stadium, which was formally opened in April. The show’s design concept was titled "Harmonic Heart Beat" and organisers used the event to emphasise hospitality, culture and performing arts alongside references to the city’s industrial heritage.
Visually, heart imagery was prominent throughout: an inclined, heart-shaped stage dominated the field and placards bearing teams’ names incorporated the motif during the athletes’ parade. Outfits worn by performers accompanying violinist and composer Taro Hakase were heart-shaped, and ‘angel drones’ dressed in flowing fabric were deployed to represent the diversity and solidarity of Asian countries. Hammer throw legend Shigenobu Murofushi, accompanied by his Olympic champion son Koji Murofushi, lit the heart-shaped cauldron at the ceremony’s close.
A pre-show that began at 4 p.m. featured performances by the Shigo Bonote Preservation Society and the INI Music Group. With Nagoya Castle at its centre, a segment titled the ‘Heart Beat of Tradition’ included kabuki artists and presented a progression from the past to the present and future while referencing the historical origins of the city’s manufacturing prowess. The organisers incorporated technology into the production, with many of the songs used during the ceremony created with AI.
Host Japan’s entry during the parade of nations drew the loudest cheers, matched by the reception for the royal family. Emperor Naruhito formally declared the Games open during the ceremony. During the march past, the Indian contingent was led by kabaddi captain Pawan Sehrawat and shooter Manu Bhaker.
Chief creative director Yukihiko Tsutsumi outlined the conceptual aim in a statement: “This giant heart, being born from a fusion of diverse artists, performers, visuals, stage mechanisms, and systems, is sure to become a message originating in Aichi-Nagoya that spreads to Asia and even to the entire world. People around the globe will relate to and connect with each other through joy and friendship,” he said.
With the opening ceremony complete and the cauldron lit, the Asian Games in Nagoya are now officially under way.