Let the games begin! Rio Olympics kicks off with samba, a supermodel - but empty seats inside and police tear gassing protesters outside. The Olympic Opening Ceremony 2016 kicked off in Rio tonight with a stunning celebration of Brazilian culture. But while fireworks erupted from the Maracena Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, angry protests erupted outside the stadium over the spending on the event during Brazil's worst recession in recent years. Protesters, who were also furious over the presence of Brazil's acting president Michel Temer at the ceremony, clashed with police who used tear gas on the demonstrators. Inside the stadium, others showed their anger through the thousands of seats left unsold as the Opening Ceremony began. The 80,000-seater stadium was less than two thirds full when the lights went down. A Brazilian presenter told the audience: 'We are 60,000 people soon to be joined by three billion' on TV. Twenty minutes before the world tuned in, many of the seats of the 'sold out' show remained empty. Organizers denied reports that loud music would be played to drown out any booing. Artistic director Fernando Meirelles admitted London 2012's magnificent production by Danny Boyle and Paulette Randall was a 'tough act to follow' while Beijing's opener in 2008 was one of the best he had ever seen.