Olympics opening ceremony start time: A full guide as Paris 2024 kicks off in unusual fashion
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The 2024 Paris Olympics officially get underway this evening with thousands of athletes set to be involved in the opening ceremony.
Paris will host an Olympics opening ceremony like no other this evening as the first to be held outside of a stadium.
It will be the largest opening ceremony in Olympics history with as many as 500,000 people expected to line the River Seine to watch the ceremony.
Around 10,000 athletes will sail down the 6km stretch of the river on 85 barges and boats, starting from the Austerlitz bridge.
Unlike previous opening ceremonies and due to the sheer size and complexity of the parade, there has been no full rehearsal.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will take place on the River Seine
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Theatre director Thomas Jolly is the architect of the show, which is set to be split into 12 different sections throughout the evening.
Entertainers and dancers are set to be positioned on either side of the river as well as the bridges and nearby monuments along the route.
GB News provides a full guide on what to look out for and how to watch the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Olympics opening ceremony start time
The ceremony will begin at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm BST).
It is expected to last up to four hours with Australia, USA and France the final boats to join the parade.
How to watch the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony will be shown live on BBC One throughout the evening with coverage starting at 5.45pm.
Clare Balding will present the coverage on BBC with the likes of Laura Kenny, Jazmin Sawyers and Moe Sbihi among those set to feature on the channel throughout the Games.
None of the opening ceremony will take place inside a stadium
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The coverage will also be available on Eurosport and Discovery+, although they require a subscription.
Team GB flag bearers
Tom Daley and Helen Glover have been selected as Team GB's flag bearers for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.
Daley ended his long wait for an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo alongside Matty Lee while Glover is a two-time Olympic champion.
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Helen Glover and Tom Daley will be the flagbearers for Team GB
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The Games in Paris will see Daley become the first British diver to compete in five Olympics having made his debut as a 14 year old back in 2008.
Glover has come out of retirement twice and will competing in her fourth Olympic Games.
"I never thought I would be an Olympian. Being part of history as a flagbearer, I haven't really got my head round it yet," she said.
"Everyone I have told so far has cried, and I cried when I was told, which goes to show how much of an honour it is and how much it means."