The Asian Games were declared open by Indonesia's President Joko Widodo late on Saturday during a colourful opening ceremony in Jakarta dominated by the joint march of North and South Korea.

A burst of fireworks followed the announcement, marking the start of the two-week tournament to be held in Jakarta and Palembang in Sumatra.

About 42,000 packed the Bung Karno stadium in the Indonesian capital for an elaborate show highlighting the diverse Indonesian culture.

The ceremony opened with a skit purportedly showing President Joko Widodo doing stunts on a motorbike in Jakarta's streets before riding into the Gelora Bung Karno stadium, to roars from the crowd. The helmeted driver disappeared into a tunnel moments before the real Jokowi appeared in the VIP area.

Much of the stadium infield was filled with a rainforest-covered volcano scene that formed the backdrop for a show based on air, earth, wind and fire themes and featuring thousands of performers.

Widodo was seen dancing in his seat as Indonesian singer Via Vallen took to the stage, before the stadium fell silent to honour the victims of the recent Lombok earthquake.

Indonesian badminton great Susi Susanti, the women's singles Olympic champion in 1992, lit the Games cauldron and the ceremony closed with a boisterous music performance and spectacular fireworks.