Naked torsos & horned beasts: Swiss tunnel’s bizarre opening leaves viewers baffled (VIDEOS)
Switzerland celebrated the opening of the world’s longest train tunnel, a 17-year project that cuts through the Alps and cost €11 billion to construct - but all anyone’s talking about is its ridiculous opening ceremony.
Efforts to highlight the incredible engineering accomplishment of the 2,300 meter-deep Gotthard tunnel resulted in an utterly strange opening ceremony that reported cost €8 million.
READ MORE: World's longest rail tunnel opens through Swiss Alps (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Ceremony commemorates Gotthard Base Tunnel opening in Erstfeld
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) June 1, 2016
LIVE NOW: https://t.co/bNsKdyyfUlhttps://t.co/w1TrlBXuzm
Co-ordinated by German director Volker Hesse, the performances were supposed to represent various aspects of Swiss culture, but, at times, ended up resembling a Kanye West fashion show.
Either the opening ceremony of #gottardo2016 world's longest deepest rail tunnel or a @kanyewest album launch pic.twitter.com/ezZ4aJ46hd
— @jamesbutteryWP (@jamesbutteryWP) June 1, 2016
More than 600 actors reportedly took part in the show, which at one point, included a topless creepy-looking bird that hung over nine performers, representing the nine miners that lost their lives during the tunnel’s construction.
Soon after the elaborate performance began, viewers took to Twitter to ask the question on viewers’ lips: what is actually going on here?
The strangest opening ceremony for a piece of basic transport infrastructure ever: https://t.co/INcMs3HTXj
— Dane Jasper (@dane) June 1, 2016
Live on BBC News right now, a tunnel is having an opening ceremony. What a time to be alive. pic.twitter.com/dDsBzYKRkW
— Andrew Bloch (@AndrewBloch) June 1, 2016
The opening ceremony show for the new Gotthard tunnel is embarassing. As a Swiss citizen, I apologize.
— Francesca (@hufflepuffle84) June 1, 2016
While it may live on as the opening ceremony of all ceremonies (here’s looking at you, Rio Olympics organizers)...
A tunnel is having an opening ceremony on the BBC News Channel and it's quite something. pic.twitter.com/M26IqTEv99
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) June 1, 2016
definitely the best opening ceremony for a tunnel I've ever seen. https://t.co/nKFOIPpfHbpic.twitter.com/kHbphVaeEg
— Lucas Perlove (@LucasPerlove) June 2, 2016
…the Swiss project also managed to deliver the world’s longest and deepest train tunnel on time and within budget, so they were probably entitled to let off some steam.
WATCH FULL VIDEO OF THE OPENING ON RUPTLY's YOUTUBE CHANNEL
