Fireworks lit up the sky while dance and fanfare graced the stage in the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, which commenced on Friday, Febraury 9, local time in PyeongChang. While some U.S. channels and websites streamed the ceremony live early Friday morning, the event was aired Friday evening in the states as well.

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The Olympic Games have officially begun, the first held in South Korea since 1988. Some 35,000 spectators gathered to enjoy the parade of nations, NBC reported. 

With overnight temperatures dropping to -4 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures hovering around around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, this year's Games could be the coldest in decades. Temperatures were near freezing during the ceremony, and it was reported that audience members walked out of opening ceremony rehersals due to the cold, some reporting symptoms of hypothermia.

(MORE: PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Forecast)

The 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, currently holds the record for the coldest Olympics, with temperatures dropping to 12 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Reuters. 

The ceremony went on despite the frigid temperatures, with Pita Taufatofua braving the cold shirtless, carrying Tonga's flag, just as he did during the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Click through the slideshow above to see some highlights from this year's event.

MORE FROM WEATHER.COM: Vintage Photos from Winter Olympics of the Past