Rio Olympics 2016, Opening Ceremony as it happened: Games declared open

Former Brazilian tennis player @gugakuerten the Olympic torch during the #OpeningCeremony. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/h5Udsa5RMd

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

Marathon runner Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima lights the cauldron. The flame is here and the games are here. A spectacular opening ceremony comes to an end with dazzling fireworks.

Brazilian tennis legend Gustavo Kuerten carries the Olympic Flame into the Maracana Stadium.

Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer declares the games open but boos ring out inside Maracana

Bach to Refugee Olympic team: “Dear Refugees, you bring a message of hope to others”

Bach: “In this Olympic world we are all equal”.

IOC president Thomas Bach: “In this Olympic world we are all equal”.

Nuzman: Rio is ready to make history.

“We never give up,” says Nuzman and the cheers come back.

#Rio2016 president Nuzman mentioned government funding - and some booing near me in the Maracana

— Rob Harris (@RobHarris) August 6, 2016

Rio 2016 president Carlos Nuzman: Brazil welcomes the world with open arms. I am proud of my city, my country. Lets celebrate together. These are your games, the first in South America.

Emotions flowing!

Wish I was there with you pic.twitter.com/7cItiTCtL5

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) August 6, 2016

And finally, we have the host nation Brazil led by Yana Marques. A standing ovation and deafening cheer. There is dance, there is music and there are synchronised claps.

The Olympic Refugee teams is greeted with loud cheers as they make their way out to the middle.

Tuvalu led out by the only athlete – Etimoni Timuani – a sprinter specialising in 100 mts. They have the smallest contingent in 2016 Rio Olympics.

Yay! We finally got a picture of Abhinav Bindra leading India out! Nikhila’s perseverance paid off.

Moment of pride for @Abhinav_Bindra as he leads #IND delegate at the parade of nations. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/yfoHUEjVDZ

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

Wow!! That was incredible!! Such an honor to be the flag bearer for Denmark!! Once in a lifetime! #memories pic.twitter.com/Hzkrey2A8b

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) August 6, 2016

Olympic Record for Tennis #7...🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/GZG42dc2LG

— Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) August 6, 2016

A few boos and some cheers ring around as the Russian contingent arrives.

Almost time!! Opening ceremony march! #RefugeeOlympicTeam pic.twitter.com/HFMjJiqXPB

— Refugee Olympic Team (@RefugeesOlympic) August 6, 2016

Shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir leads out Pakistan. 

A little trivia – This is the first time ever that their hockey team hasn’t qualified for the Olympics.

Badminton world no.1 Lee Chong Wei, the winner of two Olympic silvers, leads Malaysia out.

And here's a happy @RafaelNadal, carrying the flag for Spain in the #OpeningCeremony. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/Dynhy7fqfD

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

The moment we were all waiting for. Abhinav Bindra leads India out. This is the largest ever Indian contingent at Olympics. 

And it's time for #IND! Gold medallist Abhinav Bindra leads the way. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/LAc2MSmdRj

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

Andy Murray finally leads the Great Britain contingent out. The happiest people – BBC Sport! 

Andy Murray leads in #TeamGB ! #OpeningCeremony https://t.co/jRRQ5RD86G pic.twitter.com/PmQaPTc10Y

— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) August 6, 2016

That Nadal love!

Tennis player @CaroWozniacki carries the flag of Denmark during the #OpeningCeremony. https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/nJnBpCsVLG

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

And the most successful Olympian of all time, MichaelPhelps, leads USA into the Maracana.

Another huge roar as Spain is led out by Rafael Nadal.

Former world No. 1 tennis player Caroline Wozniacki leads out Denmark.

My Colleague Nikhila informs me – India will be the 95th contingent in the parade of the nations.

#AUS, one of the biggest contingents with 418 athletes.And of course the trademark kangaroo! https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY pic.twitter.com/a9lkcNJUZj

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

A huge roar echoes inside the Maracana as Canada contingent arrives.

It’s Cameroon’s turn now – Football gold medalist in 2012 London Olympics.

And there you go! Bermuda in their traditional shorts. Super stuff!

Bermuda... in case you hadn't guessed. https://t.co/VU4WHfqJNT #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/5YaAut2qjc

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 6, 2016

Parade of nations started by Greece & their flag-bearer Sofia Bekatorou! https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/8yRuD3bEm5

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 6, 2016

The legend’s in the house! 

Proud to be an Indian today 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳 @Rio2016_en pic.twitter.com/XsglXQz8eO

— Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) August 6, 2016

Here come 9 Kuwait athletes competing under the flag of International Olympic committee.

Next in line – Andorra and Angola! These nations are then followed by Antigua and Barbuda.

After Greece, Afghanistan, South Africa, Albania and Germany made their way into the stadium.

Afghanistan's athlete contingent in Rio is 3. It could be quintupled if cricket became an Olympic sport.

— Peter Della Penna (@PeterDellaPenna) August 5, 2016

Regardless of the language of the host country, Greece comes first. Followed by nations in alphabetical order in the local language.

The Afghanistan contingent arrives. They are just 3 of them but the spirits seem high.

This is the moment they were waiting for. The athletes arrive. Greece is the first into the Olympic nations. The athletes will parade through the centre of the stadium now.

There you go! The Indian contingent in full force ahead of the opening ceremony tonight.

All set for tonight :) @Guttajwala @Pvsindhu1 pic.twitter.com/KRW6WBsql7

— Ashwini Ponnappa (@P9Ashwini) August 5, 2016

"A lava lamp gone a bit wild"

We couldn't have described it better ourselves!https://t.co/VU4WHfqJNT pic.twitter.com/tE76OXAwcX

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2016

The moment supermodel Gisele Bundchen walked the stage & set it on fire! https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/ukOaKzD2xO

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 5, 2016

Rap, Music, Dance representing the musical culture of the favelas. There is 12 year-old MC Sofia rapping alongside Karol Conka, the crowd joins in the party.

A blast of funk from Lumilla, who belts out Rap da Felicidade (Happiness Rap).

First properly cool moment of the Opening Ceremony - Gisele walks length of Maracana pitch as singer croons Girl from Ipanema

— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) August 5, 2016

And there you go, one of the most awaited moments.

It wouldn't be an #OpeningCeremony in Rio without Giselle moving to 'The Girl From Ipanema' https://t.co/VU4WHfqJNT pic.twitter.com/20t8qWoKNP

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2016

We now have performers are merely running and jumping over and across simulation of rooftops depicting that the Brazil people have arrived to build the infrastructure. It’s a superb display of Parkour.

Spectacular picture of the countdown that kick-started the #OpeningCeremony https://t.co/Qqf19MLntY #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/gPS6skgmKj

— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) August 5, 2016

Those stunning fireworks that lit up the magical Maracana!

The performers are performing Pindorama which celebrates first people who arrived in Brazilian forests 500 years ago.

First off, the Brazilian National Anthem sung by Paulinho da Viola.

Mixed news from Rio!

Patches of empty seats at Maracana, sadly. I can feel Olympic Family stories coming on

— Oliver Holt (@OllieHolt22) August 5, 2016

Indeed looks stunning!

Stunning start to the Rio #OpeningCeremony. Superb! pic.twitter.com/aR9CRoRSN6

— Ashish Magotra (@clutchplay) August 5, 2016

Maligned IOC president Thomas Bach is cheered at the stadium. #Rio2016

— SI Olympics (@si_olympics) August 5, 2016

One of the themes of the night – “gambiarra”, which is “the Brazilian talent for making the most out of nothing”

#Rio2016 #OpeningCeremony starts pic.twitter.com/k8v5sGbyNt

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 5, 2016

The Opening ceremony gets underway with a countdown. The fireworks have lit the Maracana Stadium.

Michael Phelps will lead the U.S. team, the largest with 549 competitors. History’s greatest Olympian will be looking to add to his record haul of 22 medals, in three individual swims plus relays.

Athletes from 205 nations and territories were set to march behind their flags. They’ll be joined by a first-ever Refugee Olympic Team of 10 athletes, displaced from Syria, South Sudan, Congo and Ethiopia. Their flag-bearer, Rose Nathike Lokonyen, fled war in South Sudan and ran her first race in a refugee camp in northern Kenya.

The honor of declaring the games  open  will fall to Michel Temer, Brazil’s unpopular interim president, standing in for suspended President Dilma Rousseff. Her ouster less than four months out from the games for alleged budget violations was one of the many complications that roiled Brazil’s Olympic preparations and impacted the  opening ceremony  itself. Fewer than 25 foreign heads of state were expected, with others seemingly staying away to avoid giving the impression of taking sides amid Brazil’s leadership uncertainty.

Rio is ready…and the 2016 #Olympics Opening Ceremony is about to begin! (via @Olympics) https://t.co/CdtAeuZUP9

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) August 5, 2016

The Parade of the Nations, or the march past of the participating contingents, will see 207 including Kosovo and South Sudan who are making their debut. Also participating for the first time is the 10-member Refugee Olympic Team comprising refugees from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo.

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who has retired, will be appearing in the ceremony and was reportedly due to enact a mugging victim, while her younger colleague Lea T will become the first transgender person to have a major role at an Olympic opening ceremony.

Among the star performers are legendary singer Elza Soares (samba), Karol Conka and the 12-year-old M.C. Soffia (hip hop), will also be representing Brazil’s black community, as well as the veterans Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, who pioneered the post-bossa nova musica popular brasileira and tropicalia, performing alongside Carioca (slang for natives of the city) singer Anitta.

People still queuing outside the Maracana - luckily they've got this guy to entertain them #rio2016 #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/GbQRjC5ny0

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 5, 2016

Shivani's live from Maracana and she says the crowd at the stadium is chanting 'Om' 10 minutes to the #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016

— Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) August 5, 2016

Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney all played there in the 1980s to massive crowds of about 180,000. KISS, Sting, Madonna, Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones and Prince are among the many other performers to grace Maracana’s stage. The stadium was the site of the 2014 World Cup final. Germany topped Argentina 1-0 for the title.

Fans are filing into Maracana Stadium.Once considered the biggest stadium in the world with a capacity of nearly 200,000, Maracana Stadium now holds around 80,000 people. Opened in 1950 for the World Cup, in which Uruguay beat the hosts 2-1 in the final, the stadium has been renovated many times over the years. Pele scored the 1,000th goal of his career there in 1969, and the field has been the site for countless major soccer matches at many levels.

Everybody is lighting up the stadium - 20 minutes to go! 👏 #OpeningCeremony #Olympics pic.twitter.com/go8EE2VM7v

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) August 5, 2016

While the Olympic Opening Ceremony is set to roll in Rio, the Sydney Opera House is looking a sight. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/b8HirwbImb

— Jaspreet Singh Sahni (@JaspreetSSahni) August 5, 2016

Christ the Redeemer Monument lit with special lights by French artist Gaspare Di Caro (AFP) #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/HEsVUPWsuo

— Joe Fleming (@ByJoeFleming) August 5, 2016

The ceremony is set to start at 21:00 GMT, which would mean 4:30 AM (6 August) in the morning. For further information on events, athletes and medal tally click on the link.

India’s flag-bearer, 2008 gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, will lead out more than 100 Indian athletes at the legendary stadium.

The Olympic torch will be carried into the Maracana stadium in Brazil to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of Rio 2016 on Friday, where interim president Michel Temer will pronounce the Games open.

The iconic Maracana Stadium will host a pulsating gathering for more than 70,000 fans, 10,400 athletes and dozens of world leaders as the first Olympics to be staged in South America gets under way. The ceremony in the teeming Brazilian city sets off two weeks of sporting excellence and drama featuring the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.

The carnival capital of Rio de Janeiro will host a glittering Olympics opening ceremony party hoping to draw a line under a turbulent seven-year build-up dogged by recession, drugs scandals, crime and infrastructure stumbles.