Summary
Former marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima lights the Olympic cauldron
207 teams parade at the Maracana Stadium
Andy Murray carries GB flag
New refugee team given great reception
Russia receive mixed reception
Hit the button!published at 00:32 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Favela rappublished at 00:32 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Into the pop music section now - let's be honest London 2012 smashed this part. Such a rich musical back catalogue to use, and we did.
Brazil has gone for 'Happiness Rap', an anthem of the carioca favelas to open up.
Back to schoolpublished at 00:30 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Farewell Giselepublished at 00:30 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Apparently that was Gisele’s last catwalk.
She closes her modeling career in front of a huge global audience...
Classic tunepublished at 00:29 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Who had 'The Girl from Ipanema' in their opening Ceremony bingo?
BINGO.
And the girl is Gisele. Not just a supermodel, but an 'ubermodel' according to our notes.
Flight!published at 00:27 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
And there it is! Flight. Human flight people. That plane is called the 14 Bis.
Image source, BBC SportWho knew?published at 00:26 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
John Murray
BBC Radio 5 live commentatorThe Brazilians claim Alberto Santos-Dumont, a Brazilian, was the first man to take off with a heavier-than-air machine. He invented the plane, not the Wright Brothers, who simply had better PR.
They wanted to celebrate this in the opening ceremony.
A shot from earlierpublished at 00:26 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
'What did you do during the opening ceremony, dad?'
'I was part of a microbe, son...'
Image source, Getty ImagesPostpublished at 00:25 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Acrobats now scale a highrise of sorts which has appeared at the far end of the stadium. Have you seen Elvis' 'Jailhouse Rock'?
A bit like that.
Image source, BBC SportPostpublished at 00:23 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Danny Boyle had the budget and the expertise to actually build towers from the stadium floor four years ago. Rio's 'cities' are projected instead. A bit like Tetris.
Metropolispublished at 00:23 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
More migration to Brazil, this time from the middle east and the Orient. And now we move on to 'Metropolis' - the rise of the great cities of Brazil...
Image source, Getty ImagesBring it on!published at 00:19 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
Olympic and five-time world rowing champion Alex Gregory is feeling in the mood...
He starts his campaign for gold in the coxless fours on Sunday.
Here come the Africanspublished at 00:19 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
And now the arrival of Africans to Brazil is depicted, shackled.
Slavery lasted for 388 years in Brazil, at the heart of crops such as sugarcane, gold, silver and precious stones. African culture was a fundamental influence on Brazilian culture.
And remains so to this day.
'The image of a country affects your whole life'published at 00:16 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
How important is the opening ceremony to Brazil?
Immensely, according to Leonardo Valente, Professor of International Relations at Rio Federal University, who is commentating on the ceremony for BBC Brasil.
It has a great political weight, and used to pass messages about what the country is like to the whole world.
"The image of a country affects your whole life, from economics to self-esteem of the population," he says.
He hopes that Brazil use the ceremony to break the stereotypical image of it as an exotic and backward country where there are many forests and little technology.
Here come the Europeanspublished at 00:16 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
The dancers now create ships to symbolise the arrival of the Europeans, the Portuguese in fact.
Image source, Getty ImagesView from the press boxpublished at 00:15 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
No comms?published at 00:15 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
It seems that quite a few of you on social media are annoyed at hearing the commentary around this ceremony - I'm not sure why - but if you are, you can watch WITHOUT COMMENTARY at the top of the page.
The rainforestpublished at 00:12 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
And now we have the representation of Brazil's rainforests, and the indigenous people within. Remember 2012's industrial revolution?
Let's gopublished at 00:09 British Summer Time 6 August 2016
The theme now turns to 'the birth of life' as the huge screen on the floor goes back to the very beginning. Microbes.
Sexy stuff.
Go 360 degreespublished at 00:08 British Summer Time 6 August 2016