Norway's "Oil Capital" of Stavanger has been named one of two European Capitals of Culture in 2008 (the other is Liverpool), and residents turned out by the thousands over the weekend to launch a year of celebrations.
Both Queen Sonja and King Harald were on hand for the kick-off events that started on Friday.
As always, the royals were presented with flowers by local children.
Queen Sonja and King Harald on their way to official opening ceremonies on Saturday.
King Harald also gave a speech during the ceremonies to launch Stavanger's status as a European Capital of Culture. He claimed that culture "strengthens our identity."
Former diplomat and UN official Jan Egeland comes from Stavanger, and he also was invited to speak at the opening ceremonies. He claimed Stavanger has always looked beyond its own borders and now must meet the challenge of truly being an "open port."
A two-kilometer-long parade featuring various aspects of European culture (and this angel flock) helped launch opening festivities.
The parade attracted tens of thousands of spectators as it wound through the scenic streets of Stavanger.
More than 2,000 people took part in the parade, including these balloon-carriers.
Colourful costumes helped ward off the gloom of a January day.
Dancers abounded in the parade, which will be followed by a year's worth of other dance performances, concerts, film, workshops and artistic presentations.
The angels were among the most popular. The king and queen can be seen in the audience (center).
A huge outdoor performance followed in the evening in the heart of the city.
No opening ceremony is complete without fireworks.
Opera singers, cyclists and boats performed on the lake in the heart of Stavanger, called Breiavatnet.
The extravaganza was produced by French firm CPM, and the year of celebrations is being coordinated by Mary Miller of Scotland. On the proverbial "morning after," she was ready to move forward with the rest of the year's events.
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