Britain fires up the world: London gets the 2012 Games under way with the Greatest Show On Earth

Sir Steve Redgrave carries the Olympic torch into the Stadium, after David Beckham accompanied it into Stratford on a speedboat
Seven young athletes then light the cauldron
Breathtaking firework display lights up the sky above east London
Sir Paul McCartney brings the show to a close, singing Beatles classic Hey Jude
Queen makes spectacular appearance in simulated helicopter arrival with James Bond star Daniel Craig
Monarch tells the world: 'I declare open the Games of London, celebrating the 30th Olympiad of the modern era'
Muhammad Ali is among flagbearers who carried the Olympic Flag into the Stadium
Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins started the Opening Ceremony by ringing the giant Olympic Bell
Rowan Atkinson joins the orchestra as Mr Bean for a comedy skit
Sir Kenneth Branagh reads from Shakespeare's The Tempest
Dizzee Rascal and Emeli Sande perform
The audience have been handed 3D glasses and every seat has a magic wand with it
Red Arrows fly past the stadium leaving trail of red, white and blue vapour at 20:12 exactly
Danny Boyle tweets 'Proud to be British'

We all wondered who would light the torch - and in the end the organisers sprang a surprise as seven teenage athletes lit copper petals - brought in by each of the 204 countries - which converged in spectacular fashion to form the cauldron in the middle of the Olympic Stadium.

Outside the fireworks were equally impressive and could be seen for miles.

Sir Steve Redgrave, five-time gold medallist was the champion chosen to conclude the torch's 8,000-mile journey round Britain, but there was no doubting the night's biggest star, local boy David Beckham, who transported the flame by speedboat under Tower Bridge to the stadium.

It was the coolest moment of an amazing show and an estimated television audience of one billion tuned in worldwide to witness what had been billed as the Greatest Show on Earth

Scroll down for video

James Bond escorts The Queen to the London 2012 Olympic Games - BBC

The Olympic Cauldron burns, lit by seven young athletes, chosen for their promise by British sporting legends

The Cauldron was formed by 204 petals, one for each nation competing

The petals converged into one, after they were lit by the seven teenagers, rising high above the stadium

The audience watched open-mouthed as the burning petals raised

The sporting prospects lit the petals, after they were passed the flame by Sir Steve Redgrave

Young athletes carried the Olympic flame around the stadium, a symbol of the Games' legacy

Former British rower and five times Olympic gold medalist, Steve Redgrave, passes the Torch to seven children, nominated to light the flame

The flame is passed to five times gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave by David Beckham, who carried the flame into Stratford on a speedboat

David Beckham was a surprise appearance, accompanying the Flame as it made its final journey

THE YOUNG ATHLETES CHOSEN TO LIGHT THE OLYMPIC CAULDRON

Callum Airlie, 17, was nominated by gold medal-winning sailor Shirley Robertson. He has been sailing since the age of four, and is a two-time Optimist UK national champion who aims to be entered into the 2013 ISAF (International Sailing Association & Federation) Open.

Jordan Duckitt, 18, was chairman of the London 2012 Young Ambassador Steering Group for two years, and was nominated by Duncan Goodhew.

Athletics talent Desiree Henry was put forward by Daley Thomson.

The 16-year-old was the youngest member of the Great Britain youth team to gain a world 200m title at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2011, and competes this year at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona.

Runner Katie Kirk was nominated by Dame Mary Peters, who won gold in the women`s Pentathlon at the 1972 Munich games.

Katie, 18, was selected to run at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

She was also part of the gold medal-winning team in the 4x400m relay at the European Junior championships in Tallinn, Estonia.

Sir Steve nominated young rower Cameron MacRitchie, 19.

The teenager finished fifth with his partner James Edwards in the men`s pair at the 2012 GB rowing team under 23 trials in April.

He was selected in the men`s eight to race at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Lithuania.

Aidan Reynolds, 18, was put forward by Lynn Davies, who captained Team GB at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984.

Aidan gave up a promising basketball career to focus on the javelin, winning three medals at national level at the English Schools, UK School Games and English Championships.

Adelle Tracey was nominated by Dame Kelly Holmes.

The 19-year-old has collected county, regional and national junior and senior titles in 400m and 800m, and has been in the top five UK rankings for the last six years.

She won 800m silver for Great Britain in the European Youth Olympic Festival in Finland.

Fireworks light up the entire Olympic Park as the ceremony closes and the Games begins

London is illuminated by a stunning firework display as the Opening Ceremony reaches a crescendo

Fireworks lit up the night sky as the Stadium anxiously awaited the arrival of the Olympic Flame

Fireworks created a spectacular display above east London

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney raises his arms as he sings at the end of the opening ceremony, as he brings the show to a close with a performance of Hey Jude

Sir Paul McCartney brought the Olympic Opening Ceremony to a rousing an emotional finale tonight with a performance of Beatles legend Hey Jude.

Earlier, Sir Chris Hoy looked delighted as he led the British athletes into the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 30th Games this evening.

The triple cycling gold medallist had the honour of carrying the Union Flag in the parade of the 204 nations competing at the London Olympics.

The crowd gave the British team a rapturous reception as the long wait for the Olympics to start came to an end.

Proud moment: Sir Chris Hoy acts as flag bearer for Great Britain as the team enters the Olympic Stadium

British diver Tom Daley, left, parades with fellow team members during the Opening Ceremony

A group of flagbearers including Muhammad Ali bring the Olympic Flag into the stadium

The VIP group included Doreen Lawrence, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general and Ethiopian athletics veteran Haile Gebrselassie

An extraordinary party of flagbearers brought the Olympic Flag into the stadium moments after the Queen declared the London Games open.

Muhammad Ali and Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, were among the nine who took part in the ceremony.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, Ethiopian athletics veteran Haile Gebrselassie and Shami Chakrabati, director of Liberty, were also flagbearers, along with Sally Becker, known as the Angel of Mostar who risked her life to deliver aid and evacuate children in the Balkan War, Marina Silva, who has fought against the destruction of the rainforest, Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, who has worked to try and end Liberia's civil war, and musician Daniel Barenboim.

Flying the flag: Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Maria Sharapova of Russia carry their nations' flags into the Stadium

Argentina's flag bearer Luciana Aymar leads her team into the Olympic Stadium

Earlier the Queen made a seemingly spectacular entrance to the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony this evening by dropping in from a helicopter by parachute accompanied by James Bond.

The surreal sequence followed a short film featuring James Bond actor Daniel Craig soaring across the streets of London before the pair apparently took the plunge.

Stuntmen dressed in a tuxedo and a peach-coloured dress really made the leap using Union Jack parachutes, and the Queen accompanied by Prince Philip then emerged and took their seat in the Royal Box.

Australian competitors pass on messages to loved ones back home during their nation's parade

Norwegian canoe-kayaker Mira Veras Larsen carries her nation's flag into the stadium

The Portuguese team arrive with their flag, led by judo star Telma Monteiro

Some details of the Bond stunt had emerged in advance of tonight's £27 million opening ceremony - the brainchild of Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle.

More...

But the Queen's role - played to perfection - still left the audience awe-struck and delighted both in the stadium and around the world.

'The Queen made herself more accessible then ever before,' Boyle said earlier today.

It is the first time the Queen has 'acted' in a film and she allowed two of her own corgis to star - Monty, 13, who used to belong to the Queen Mother and

Holly, nine. 'she was delighted to be asked to be involved in something so exceptional,' a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

The segment was filmed in April. 'It's been a hell of a job keeping it secret for so long,' said a source.

Performers in the Olympics opening ceremony tonight hailed the experience as 'magical'.

Spectacular entrance: A stuntman portraying the Queen tumbles out of a helicopter high above the Olympic Stadium before unfurling a Union Jack

In a pre-filmed sketche, Daniel Craig, in character as James Bond, prepares to leap with the Queen

After appearing in the stadium, looking disheveled, a disgruntled-looking Queen adjusts herself and then takes her seat in the VIP area

The Queen is applauded by other dignitaries after making her arrival in the Olympic Stadium

Around 7,500 volunteers from around the world took part in the spectacular show in front of a packed Olympic Stadium in east London and a television audience of billions.

Sarah Lane, 28, danced in the climactic 'frankie and june say... Thanks Tim' section to a medley of British pop hits.

Moments after coming off stage, the scriptwriting student from Kennington in south London, said: 'It felt like the whole world came together for a good old British knees-up.

'It was just incredible - the perfect evening. Even the sky was a perfect colour.'

Asked what the atmosphere was like with her fellow performers, she said: 'Everyone was so happy.

'The audience, the cast - it was a massive party and no-one wanted to get off the stage.'

David Beckham appears to drive the torch up the River Thames in a Speedboat, as fireworks are set off on Tower Bridge

... but he had a little help from a crew, who were cleverly hidden from shot

British rockers The Arctic Monkeys performed in the centre of the stadium

A spectacular firework display marked the band's performance

Performers pay silent tribute to war dead and the victims of the 7/7 terrorist attacks

The silent tribute added a sombre touch to the ceremony#

Miss Lane started rehearsals for the modern dance section in mid-April, and has practised for more than 120 hours.

She said: 'The whole experience has been great. Even when we were rehearsing in a car park for five hours in the rain, everyone's spirit was really high.

'Danny Boyle was really approachable, which made such a difference. He made everyone feel part of the team and he thanked us all personally during rehearsals.

'I think Danny really captured the spirit of Britain, and everyone was part of the show.

'It was truly magical."

Scottish singer Emeli Sande of performs a moving rendition of 'Abide With Me'

Rowan Atkinson in his role as Mr Bean takes part in an Opening Ceremony sketch

Atkinson cheated his way to victory in a mock up of the famous Chariots of Fire scene

AN ARMY OF YOUNG PATIENTS SALUTE THE NHS

A celebration of the Health Service – featuring more than 600 real NHS staff and patients – was one of the ceremony’s centrepieces.

Director Danny Boyle had said he wanted to celebrate the NHS as a proud British establishment as part of the show.

During the set, happy pyjama-clad patients – played by children – leaped up and down on 320 giant hospital beds, which doubled as trampolines, while nurses danced around them.

Dancers perform in the Gosh and NHS scene during the opening ceremony

Dressed in 1950s uniforms, the nurses used luminous hospital beds to spell out the words ‘NHS’ and ‘GOSH’, standing for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The patients, who later left their beds to join a dance routine, included real patients from the London children’s hospital.

Among them was Lottie Pink, ten, from South West London, who was treated for a brain tumour two years ago and returns to the hospital every few months for check-ups.

She said: ‘I am proud to represent all the great work the hospital does. Without them, I would not be here. This is a once-in-a-lifetime.’

The NHS section of the show also paid tribute to Britain’s contribution to children’s literature, with several villains recreated as spectacular nightmares suffered by the children. They included the Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Captain Hook from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan.

Mr Boyle said of the NHS section: ‘One of the reasons we put the NHS in the show is that everyone is aware of how important the NHS is to everybody in this country.

‘We believe, as a nation, in universal healthcare. It doesn’t matter how poor you are, how rich you are, you will get treated.’

However, some observers on Twitter remarked that it was a somewhat ‘socialist’ vision of Britain and an obvious ‘protest’ against NHS cuts.

Actresses dressed as Mary Poppins float above the stadium, clinging onto umbrellas

Earlier, Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins rang the giant bell which marked the start of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Wearing a yellow jersey Wiggins, fresh from his victory as the first British man to win the tour, was greeted with cheers at the Olympic Park.

It was the dramatic start of a breathtaking spectacular capturing the best of Britain to launch the long-awaited games as the eyes of the world turned on London.

Children perform on trampolines as dancers play Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital staff

Rapper Dizzee Rascal performs live inside the stadium

The lights dimmed inside the stadium, while a tribute to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital glowed blue

The stadium is filled with dancers on giant beds

The £27 million opening ceremony started simply with the Olympic Stadium turned into a meadow, a green and pleasant land.

On the real grass covering the bowl of the stadium there were hills, a cottage and people enjoying an idyllic version of British life.

The world's largest harmonically-tuned bell, weighing 23 tonnes and measuring two metres tall and three metres wide, rang inside the stadium to start a

Shakespeare-inspired spectacle featuring 900 children from the six east London host boroughs.

The bell, produced by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, is inscribed with a quote from The Tempest's Caliban: 'Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises'.

Inflatable yellow submarines float above artists during The Age of Industry scene

The Olympic rings are illuminated with pyrotechnics as they are raised above the stadium during the Opening Ceremony

Sparks fly as the five rings are then joined to form the famous Olympic symbol

Forged in steel mills in the centre of the stadium, the Olympic Rings rise above the crowd

The bell stood at one end of the stadium in Stratford, east London, while at the opposite end a version of Glastonbury Tor - a holy hill in south west England - was topped off with a giant oak.

A huge waterwheel stood parallel with the 100 metre finish line where, in just a week's time, the fastest men in the world will race to be named Olympic champion.

Industrial workers forge the Olympic rings in a mocked up steel mil

A spectacular aerial view of the 'Satanic Mills' in Danny Boyle's take on the Industrial Revolution

Giant smoke stacks appeared out of the centre of the stadium, as the Green and Pleasant Land was replaced with a stark industrial landscape

Actors dressed as the Beatles' from their Sergeant Pepper album marched around the stadium

Oscar winner Boyle, the man responsible for the the remarkable transformation of the stadium where the athletics will take place, said: 'Tonight's a warm-up act for the Games.

'That's one of the things you have to keep remembering.

'You big it up for different reasons, and you hear it bigged up or slammed or whatever it is and you've got to keep remembering we're the warm-up act.'

As warm up acts go, it was hot.

A digital 10-second countdown flashed on to the crowd, with balloons popping on each number, and the ceremony began.

They were joined by real Chelsea Pensioners

Actor Kenneth Branagh performs a speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest in character as Isambard Kingdom Brunel

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins opens the Olympic Opening Ceremony by ringing a giant bell

The cycling ace worse a replica of his famous Tour de France yellow jersey as he was introduced to the 70,000 strong crowd in the Olympic Stadium

The five Olympic rings, attached to four balloons, were released and floated up into the sky, set to reach the stratosphere by the end of the ceremony.

In the stadium, all was still in the idyllic countryside setting.

Children played on the meadow and sports took place on the village green, before a single child's voice sang out the words to Danny Boy.

The Red Arrows aerobatic display team fly over the Olympic Stadium at 8:12pm prior to the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games

The Red Arrows fly past as a giant clock countdowns to the start of the Opening Ceremony

Worldwide audience: More than a billion people around the world are expected to watch the historic event

Opening night: The organisers have promised the show will be spectacular

Sir Kenneth Branagh, dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, entered the scene reciting Caliban's speech from Shakespeare's The Tempest as some 62,000 spectators saw Boyle's spectacular Isles of Wonder unveil.

In sharp contrast, the pounding of the drums began, ushering in Britain's industrial revolution as the stadium darkened and the atmosphere changed.

Pandemonium broke out, with the peaceful countryside torn to pieces as the age of industry sprouted from the ground, with banging so loud the audience felt their seats vibrate.

A cast of hundreds swarmed on to the centre of the arena as the darker, grimier, urban landscape emerged, with giant smoking chimneys rising up from the ground.

Weather-beaten fans improvise as rain begins to fall on the Olympic Stadium ahead of the Opening Ceremony

Umbrellas appear throughout the stadium as heavy rain falls in East London

High in the sky: An aerial view of the stadium shows the presence the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London

Suddenly, everything stopped as silence descended for a moment to remember the fallen.

A poppy field was revealed at one side of the stadium as a sense of calm prevailed while the audience stood to remember the dead.

But the scene was soon swallowed up in a hive of activity.

Chelsea Pensioners, suffragettes, Jarrow marchers and a band wearing the brightly-coloured Beatles' Sgt Pepper's uniform joined the parade.

All the while the massive cast of drummers danced and beat out the music in unison.

Four giant rings started to hover and descend from the sky while another rose up from the ground to meet them in mid-air before all five burst into flames.

As they enter the stadium, ticketholders are greeted by England's 'Green and Pleasant Land' the starting point of Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony extravaganza

Animals, including geese take to the stage against a backdrop of artificial clouds and a giant water wheel during the opening ceremony

Performers in costume gather on the field with animals before before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games

The darkness inside the stadium was broken by the sound of Handel, which heralded the Queen's arrival.

A fanfare played and music harked back to the Battle of Britain, while stadium spotlights strobed across the night sky.

Then the familiar sound of the James Bond theme blasted out, while bright lights turned the banks of spectators in to panels of red, white and blue.

After the Bond coup de theatre, prime ministers, presidents, US First Lady Michelle Obama, International Olympic Committee executives and spectators stood as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh accompanied IOC president Jacques Rogge into the stadium.

The Royal Navy, Army and Air Force raised the Union Flag, as the National Anthem rang out from Kaos, a singing choir for deaf and hard of hearing children.

A vigorously upbeat tone greeted hundreds of dancing nurses and their young patients on 320 luminous hospital beds in a celebration of the National Health Service.

Staff and patients from the world-famous Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) were given a special cheer as the hospital's name was spelt out by the beds.

Musician Mike Oldfield played Tubular Bells as one young girl read beneath the bedsheets in a tribute to the world of children's literature.

In a rare public appearance, Harry Potter author JK Rowling started the tale of JM Barrie's Peter Pan as Boyle's "Second to the right, and straight on 'til morning" segment got under way.

Performers play cricket during the Opening Ceremony pre-show

Baddies from Britain's best-loved children's books, including Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil and Lord Voldemort, threatened the stage but were quickly banished by a troupe of Mary Poppins-type characters who descended from the skies.

The giant wizard deflated and the nightmare was over as a lullaby swept over the scene.

Then a giant baby, nestling safely under cover, fell asleep.

The London Symphony Orchestra played a tribute to the British film industry with a performance of the Chariots of Fire theme, the 1981 Oscar-winning film based on the Olympic story of British athletes Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams.

A two-up two-down house was the start of the ceremony's love story featuring Frankie and June, a teenage girl getting ready for a Saturday night out.

A lost phone led to their budding romance, which was pursued through nightclubs playing music from the 1960s to today.

Some of Britain's best-loved songs, from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody to Underworld's Born Slippy and Tinie Tempah's Pass Out, encapsulate each era.

The giant Olympic Bell strikes an imposing figure at the end of the stadium. The bell will ring during the show, marking the start of the Games

Clouds hover overhead as the Olympic Stadium fills with eager ticketholders

Showcase: Three young people in the crowd try out their 3D glasses at the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium

All partygoers were invited back to the house where Tim Berners-Lee, the Briton who invented the World Wide Web, was at his keyboard.

The sentiment behind the opening ceremony appeared in giant black and white letters across the stadium audience: "This is for everyone."

A memorial wall on the stadium screens was one of the touching moments of the ceremony, showing images of spectators' loved ones who have passed away, including the late fathers of Boyle and Olympics supremo Lord Coe.

Dancers dressed in red, representing the struggle between life and death, were picked out by a spotlight in the darkness of the stadium as the clear powerful vocals of Emeli Sande pierced the air with Abide With Me.

Sir Chris Hoy, Britain's flagbearer, joined athletes from the 204 competing Olympic nations as they smiled and waved during their moment in the spotlight.

Representing the doves traditionally released at the Games to signal peace, 75 cyclists, complete with white wings, circled the stadium before one flew away.

Sheffield band Arctic Monkeys played "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" before Lord Coe took to the stage with Rogge.

After brief speeches, the Queen declared the 30th Olympiad officially open.

Let the Games begin!

Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge take in the pre-show after arriving at the Opening Ceremony

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor get into the festive spirit, while director Danny Boyle addresses the 70,000 audience members inside the stadium

Performers in period costume as nurses pose as they arrive for the Opening Ceremony

All creatures great and small: Performers, human and animal, get into position for the start of the Opening Ceremony

THE MOST STAR-STUDDED SPORTS STADIUM IN HISTORY

By PAUL HARRIS

First came the glitter – a sparkling array of celebrities and notables lending their patronage to the Games.

Then came the Twitter – a stream of tweets from stars who turned out to witness or take part in the event dubbed the greatest show on earth.

With an extraordinary mix of royalty, showbiz, VIPs, world leaders and ordinary folk, the opening ceremony for London 2012 created possibly the most star-studded sports stadium Britain has ever seen.

And somewhere in the crowd or on set here, of course, were some of our greatest athletes, medal winners and Olympians of past and present games – plus many, it is safe to assume – with a place in the future.

Spectators with particular sporting or celebrity heroes might just as well have come along with an I-Spy book to tick them off.

Stars like celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal were identified sitting randomly in the crowd, either picked out by TV cameras or declaring their presence on Twitter.

But it was Rowan Atkinson, playing bumbling Mr Bean haplessly playing a white keyboard, who got the stadium rocking with laughter.

In a surprise spoof kept secret until the last moment, he created comic havoc as Sir Simon Rattle conducted the theme from Chariots of Fire. Earlier, Sir

Kenneth Branagh and JK Rowling made leading appearances.

Unfathomably, the programme notes for the Harry Potter author, who read from the opening of Peter Pan, declared her to be ‘a great philanthropist, praised by the Government as a tax angel – one of the few who willingly pays her tax bill’.

Perhaps it was a reminder of how much all this was costing the taxpayer, someone observed.

But bitterness about the cost of staging the Olympics quickly evaporated last night, at least in the 71,000 seats inside the £486million stadium.

Richard E Grant, the first half of movie duo Withnail and I, was among the earliest celebrity guests to fill one, wearing a Union Flag scarf. He also figured among the earliest tweeters.

Two days ago he had told followers: ‘The Olympics will be fine – moaning is just the British way.’ Yesterday he confessed he had been given tickets to the opening by BA, for whom he made a short film to be screened at the ceremony. All around the stadium, athletes and stars rubbed shoulders. Paralympic basketball player and television presenter Ade Adepitan tweeted excitedly: ‘Look who’s sitting next to me. Stephen Hawking and Ronnie Wood!’

Meanwhile for double gold winning decathlete Daley Thompson it was ‘after kids, the best day ever’, according to his tweet.

Elsewhere, the stars of Downton Abbey tweeted a photograph of themselves outside the Olympic stadium after securing VIP tickets.

Actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays the Earl of Grantham in the BBC show, tweeted: ‘Team #DowntonAbbey invade the Olympic Park. He was joined by his glamorous co-stars, including Amy Nuttall, who plays maid Ethel Parks on the show, and Sophie McShera, who plays kitchen maid Daisy Mason.

At least 100 heads of state have been invited during the fortnight.

Yet celebrity counts for nothing when you’re slanted against the pouring rain and wearing a see-through plastic-bag poncho, issued by stewards when the rain, inevitably, came pouring down. Only those under cover in the upper levels escaped the indignity.

But those who paid a symbolic £2,012 for a ticket might have wondered if it was value for money, even if it did produce a receipt worth framing.

Spectators who paid far less – some as little as £150 – got almost as good a view from the cheap seats.

But even from the trackside front row, it was possible to see a great deal of the action. Four huge screens filled in the gaps.

Last night most commentators appeared to declare the opening ceremony a success. But – as creator Danny Boyle told us – you had to remember it was only the warm-up act to what is about to follow.

– Beijing boasted a modest 86 in 2008.

Supporting Team GB: Spectators adorned with with the Union Jack flags pose in the Olympic Park prior to the start of the ceremony

Ready, steady, go!: Crowds start to arrive in Stratford shortly after 5, ahead of the Opening Ceremony tonight

Buzzing: The first audience members to arrive get a glimpse of the Olympic Stadium. A thick throng of people has already assembled at the Olympic Park more than two hours before the Opening Ceremony is scheduled to begin

Early birds are being allowed entry into the park, but they'll have to wait before they can take their seats for the big show

Audience members will be joined in the Olympic Stadium by hundreds of high-profile guests including Michelle Obama, David Cameron and The Royal Family, as well as hundreds of foreign officials and celebrities

Crowds pour through the Olympic Park as audience members start to fill the stadium

Oh look the Yanks have got there first: Ryan Musgrave of Chicago holds up a U.S. flag

The world gathers in Stratford: Fans from Ethiopia, draped in their country's flag arrive for the Opening Ceremony

U-S-A! U-S-A!: American visitors wear the stars spangled banner with pride on hats, t-shirts and even sunglasses as excitement builds in the Olympic Park

Costume contest: A Brazilian and a Brit compete for the most creative Opening Ceremony costume in the Olympic Park

An excited British fan is among the first to arrive in the stadium. Each audience member will find a Cadbury's chocolate bar and a interactive wand under their seat

Last minute nerves?: Opening Ceremony director Danny Boyle joins Locog chairman Sebastian Coe at a press conference today

Strict operations: A group of police officers gather together outside the Olympics stadium in Stratford, east London, and take security instructions from a senior policeman in plain clothes

Two officers stand guard outside a bus station in Stratford where thousands of people will be arriving throughout the course of the evening while two more PCs patrol the soaked streets around the stadium

Officers wait on a street outside the Olympics stadium as the final preparations for the event are put in place. There are added tensions after security blunders by G4S

Rain clouds hovered worryingly close to east London at 5pm today. Guests and organisers are praying Stratford stays dry tonight as the Opening Ceremony approaches

Rain seemed certain to threaten the Olympic Ceremony and looks like disrupting the start of the Games.

MeteoGroup forecaster Aisling Creevey said there was a lot of unsettled weather on the way, with the jet stream 'flinging' weather systems towards the UK.

'What’s happening is the jet stream is moving south and there’s an ‘upper low’ - low pressure in the mid atmosphere - which is bringing quite a mobile weather pattern with fronts moving through and showers.'

But she said: 'I don’t think it’s going to be as unsettled as it was.

'The last we had was very widespread, but this particular spell of unsettled weather is quite mobile, just affecting different areas at different times.'

She said Scotland and the south west were likely to see the worst of the rainy weather, with the potential for some heavy, thundery showers across Scotland.

But the weather would not be as disruptive as the last period of wet conditions, which saw flooding across many parts of the UK.

As Olympic sporting events get going in earnest over the next few days, the picture is mixed in London and the south, with drier weather conditions on Saturday and Monday, but the possibility of frequent showers on Sunday.

The wet weather is likely to hit northern areas first and then spread south, and by Wednesday, it will be unsettled everywhere.

But tonight’s opening ceremony is expected to escape the rain.

London will be most at at risk of rain during the morning and early afternoon, but experts said the showers should have cleared by 9pm