The Shard, the tallest skyscraper in Europe was inaugurated on Thursday night with a spectacular laser show in London.

A blend of 12 Lasers and 30 search lights lit up the night sky to celebrate the completion of the building which wowed many. The amazing laser show was visible across the city which kicked off at around 22:15 BST.

The laser beams from the 95-storey building seemed to reach all important landmarks in the city including the London Eye and Tower Bridge.

The stunning display of the lights was accompanied by a performance by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

"The Shard is an iconic addition to the capital's skyline and will be one that all of London can access and enjoy. It will become as essential a part of a visit to London as going to the top of the Empire State building is for visitors on a trip to New York," said the Chairman of the Sellar Property, Irvine Sellar.

The official inauguration ceremony of the 1,016 ft (310 meters) building concluded with the laser show.

The ceremony was attended by the Duke of York and the Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, whose national bank funded the construction.

"The light show will mark a key moment for the Shard, and one people around the world can enjoy," said the Governor of Qatar Central Bank Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saoud Al Thani, reported the BBC.

Nevertheless, the premium cost for visiting the skyscraper seemed to have attracted lot of criticism. It costs £25 for an adult and £19 for a child to ascend the viewing platform.

"It does sound pretty exorbitant. I don't think many local people will be going up to the viewing platform at that price," the BBC quoted Russell Gray of the Bermondsey Village Action Group as saying.

Tickets are on sale for 'The view from The Shard' from 09:00 am onwards on Friday. The building reportedly cost around £1.5 billion and took 12 years to complete.

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