The 2015 Special Olympics have officially started in Los Angeles with a star-studded and sold-out Opening Ceremony that took place on July 25th, 2015 at the LA Coliseum. It is going to be the largest event Los Angeles has hosted since the 1984 Summer Olympics, and the largest sports-humanitarian event in the world this year. A crowd of more than 62,000 fans watched 6,500 athletes from 165 nations march into the historic arena and on to the largest red carpet in Hollywood history.

Michelle Obama opened the three-hour ceremony, that was broadcasted on ESPN, by welcoming thousands of athletes to the LA Coliseum. There were fireworks and musical performances by Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne and Nicole Scherzinger among other talented individuals. Jimmy Kimmel also presented the evening by praising athletes for their courage and determination. The Special Olympics will take place over the course of 9 days with 25 different categories ranging from ranging from weightlifting to the triathlon.