What time is the Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony live on the BBC?
Watch the grand opening of Brazil's Rio Olympics live on UK TV and online this Friday 5th August
Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony – Friday 5th August
Live on BBC1 from 11.40pm (UK start time) – ceremony starts at midnight and continues until 4am
Clare Balding will present an Olympic preview show from 8.30pm until 10pm on BBC1.
Then, at 11.40pm, the Opening Ceremony broadcast will begin: Hazel Irvine and Andrew Cotter will commentate on the ceremony directed by City of God director Fernando Meirelles and starring, among others, Brazilian model Gisele Bunchen. Opening Ceremony UK start time: 12 midnight.
UK viewers can also watch the Opening Ceremony online for free on the BBC Sport website.
Who will be in the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony?
Here's where the details become a little harder to confirm. What we do know is Dame Judi Dench will be reading a poem by a Brazilian author. She was chosen to take part in the pre-recorded section in order to mirror Brazilian actor Fernanda Montenegro, who will read the poem in Portuguese.
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen will also be part of the celebrations, along with many stars of Brazilian music, including samba singer Elza Soares and hip hop stars Karol Conka and MC Soffia.
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The ceremony is reported to cost less than a tenth of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony. Its three themes are "the garden, diversity and joy".
"We are the last natural garden of the world," said Abel Gomes, responsible for set design. "We will give a message to the future of the world. The garden is a very important pillar that we will be embracing during the ceremony. It is our passion, it is our drive."
The second pillar, diversity, will represent the racial diversity of Brazil and the athletes arriving to participate in the Games. The third is said to be inspired by "the joyful spirit of the carioca". 'Carioca' is the word for Rio residents.
More than 35,000 performers are involved on the night, with 12 samba schools and over 5,500 costumes.
When will Team GB enter the Opening Ceremony?
Team GB will be the 76th nation to emerge during the traditional Athletes' Parade. Greece will be the first to enter, followed by the other nations in alphabetical order (according to their name in their own language).
Only a tenth of Team GB’s 366 athletes are expected to participate, with many of the team in training camps around the city and country. Andy Murray is the Team GB flagbearer – let's hope he manages a little better than he did at the official photoshoot.
Princess Anne's face as Andy Murray can't figure out how to hold the flag during #Rio2016 practicehttps://t.co/9T7NGFjzPQ
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) August 5, 2016
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