Beautiful Barcelona was the sight for the most widely watched Olympics Games to date. Seventy thousand spectators filled the stadium to take part in the fantastic opening ceremony. An additional 500,000 revelers joined to party with the world on nearby Montjuic Hill. One of Barcelona's favorite sons, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch, was grateful for the opportunity to preside over the festivities and finally bring his show to his own home town.
The hundreds of thousands of visitors to Barcelona were impressed by the intriguing architectural blend of high-tech comfort and Moorish-style design of the Olympic facilities.
By now the Games were a commercial success. The world's top companies stood in line to be Olympic sponsors. Josep Miguel Abad, chief organizer commented: "Our aim is to spend well!". And so he did - more than 10 billion dollars was spent on urban renewal and 1.5 billion dollars on the Games.