The opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games took place on Saturday, 18 August 2018, at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The event commenced at 19:00 Indonesia Western Time (UTC + 7) and ended at 21:25 local time. Wishnutama (CEO of Indonesian TV network NET.) was the creative director of the ceremony.

The ceremony featured a stage designed as a 26 - meter - high mountain with a waterfall. It weighed 600 tons, was 120 meters long and 30 meters wide, and included a display of Indonesian plants and flowers, as well as a mock volcano.

The volcano symbolized Indonesia's location in the "Ring of Fire" surrounding the Pacific Ocean.