We'll now hear the national anthem of Brazil, led by 27 children dressed in white. It's so windy that their hats are getting blown off. Hang in there.

Image source, Getty Images

IOC president Thomas Bach is announced, so stands up and gives us a wave. Evening, Thomas. We've moved on to the Universe section of the weirdness. Here, we're paying tribute to musical maestros.

Image source, Getty Images

These ceremonies are magnificently bonkers aren't they? I've got the help of a media guide, which explains everything that is going on. If I didn't have it (or, indeed, was a spectator in the Maracana) I doubt I'd have a clue what is going on.

Billy Young: For me Joe Clarke winning the Gold in the Canoe Slalom without a doubt and his family in the stands

Yusuf Lorgat: Huge tennis fan. So @andy_murray winning the Gold Medal for Britain in the tennis has to be one of my highlights

Fi Be: My highlight was the Bronze in Badminton. Really hard fought, their reaction at the end had me in tears.

Here we go, the first fireworks, shooting into the night sky from the roof of the stadium. The first section of the ceremony is called Olympic Wings and celebrates the beauty and diversity of Rio. We've got some funky drum-based music and some uncoordinated dancing.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Cotter
BBC commentator in Rio

Thankfully the weather has improved because it was bordering on the apocalyptic.

Here's the Maracana, the field covered by what looks like a giant white tarpaulin. I'm sure it's more sophisticated than that. Stand by for an hour of silliness, selfies and circumstance. I think it's stopped raining.

Image source, AP

George Kinsey: My best moment was @Mo_Farah crossing the finish line last night a four-time olympic gold medalist!!

Isaías Alves: When Maria was interviewed by Dan!! BBC! BBC! BBC ! lol

Lucas Ball: Women winning hockey gold

Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator on BBC One

We had a great athletics programme. Wayde van Niekerk winning the 400m in a world record, Thiago Braz da Silva the Brazilian pole vaulter, Usain Bolt, but I have to come back to Mo Farah. He is ours.

We've watched him since he was a cheeky little kid. We knew he had something about him, even as a kid. He hated losing when he was young and we have watched him develop as an athlete.

I know that the likes of Chris Froome and Andy Murray have had other competitions to get on with, so I'll let them off. 

Same goes for Ed Ling, who had to get back to his farm for the harvest. He's been back to normality for about 10 days now.

Image source, AP

On the subject of athletes going to the closing ceremony, there are already quite a lot that have left Rio.

Now, if that was me, I'd be wanting to wring every last second out of the Olympic experience. If I'd won a medal, I'd be showing it to everyone in Brazil for as long as possible.

You'd stick around, right?

BBC Radio 5 Live

At the end of it all, you can listen to BBC Radio 5 live's review of these 2016 Games.

Victoria Pendleton, Darren Campbell, and Steve Bunce, plus a number of the BBC commentators who helped delivered those gold-medal moments discuss their highlights.

You can listen right here.

Mike Green: My #Olympics highlights 1 @TeamGB #Hockey #Gold 2 @JasonKenny107 Keiren #Gold 3 @JustinRose99 chip shot on 18th

Robin: So many fantastic moments - but Nick Skelton receiving the gold, what a tear jerker! Amazing.

Gareth Storey: So many memories and highlights, but Wiggo and the team pursuit boys for me!

Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator on BBC TV

Somewhere in the 60 range of medals would have been very, very, good, but to exceed that is phenomenal. 

Russia not being here has an effect a little bit but only a little.

Sir Steve Redgrave
Five-time Olympic rowing champion on BBC TV

What we are seeing is the super powers are not as super as they used to be.

The medals are spread around a lot more. There are more countries winning medals than before.