British snowboarder Jamie Nicholls, who is through to the slopestyle final:, external Unfortunately I won't be at the Opening Ceremony tonight as ill need to rest up for tomorrow. Finals tomorrow are going to be amazing. So happy to apart of it and i am sure its going to be crazy! Hope your all watching.

Russian history will play a prominent part in the ceremony. "We wanted to show the main achievements of Russia," said opening ceremony producer Konstantin Ernst.

"We may not boast pop bands that are famous all over the world but we have something to boast in classical music, arts and painting.

"You will see a small, perfect ballet show which is embedded into the ceremony. It will be performed by the best ballet dancers of Russia."

Organisers have been keen to make the athletes parade a livelier affair compared to previous games, so they have created a special floor within the Olympic Stadium with an image of the globe projected onto it.

Every time a country is announced, the globe will spin to that country. A ramp will then appear in the centre of the country, with athletes marching into the £500m Fisht Stadium.

In another break from Olympic tradition they will also enter in the order of the Russian alphabet. However, Greece will still be the first out - as it tradition - and the hosts will come in last.

Every Olympics Games needs a slogan. London 2012 had "Inspire a generation" while Vancouver 2010 used "With glowing hearts", a line from the Canadian national anthem.

Sochi 2014 organisers have come up with "Hot. Cool. Yours" (handily displayed on the coach behind Maria Sharapova in the picture below) which they say "is intended to be a universal solution successfully combining innovation and dynamism".

The word "Hot" is supposed to reflect the intensity of the sporting battle and passion of spectators, the word "Cold" references to the timing of the Games and the word "Yours" symbolises the fact everyone can share in the victory of the Olympics. It's all there.

Rafael Saakov
BBC Russian Service in Sochi

Image source, Maria Sharapova

"Sochi may be hosting the Winter Olympics, but it is really summer sports that are popular here - such as tennis. Children and adults practice all year round. Former world number ones Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov both took their first steps to success in Sochi.

"Kafelnikov was born in Sochi and worked there for 11 years, while Sharapova, born in Nyagan, Siberia, moved to Sochi with her parents when she was four and trained there before moving to Florida. Her grandmother still lives in Sochi and Sharapova will work at the Olympics as a TV correspondent."

Now if you're in any doubt as to what to watch and when, look no further than our day-by-day guide. It's a bitesize Sochi 2014 bible, if you will, which pinpoints the highlights of the day, the Brits in action and the medal events.

You'll be able to access all the action across the BBC on TV, radio and online - with up to six live streams available. Plus there's also connected TVs, mobiles, tablets and the BBC Sport app to consider.

And if you're in any doubt about the timing of specific events, I suggest using this schedule. It's all there so I say tuck right in.

British bobsledder Stuart Benson:, external GB1 Bobsleigh (Myself, @JohnJacksonGB @Bruce_Bobsleigh @JoelFearon6 miss Olympic opening ceremony to focus on performance.

Robin Cousins
1980 Olympic figure skating champion on BBC TV

"Ahead of the opening ceremony, there is incredible excitement. From a Team GB perspective, they are pumped. There is a real camaraderie between them and they are ready to go."

Image source, German Olympic Team

Here's a shot, external of the German Olympic team while they wait to enter the Olympic Stadium. Dressed in their rainbow uniforms, you can't miss them. We're just 14 minutes away, folks. Alpine skier Maria Hoefl-Riesch will have the honour of carrying the German flag.

The British team, led by flagbearer speedskater John Eley, have begun the walk to the Olympic Stadium, holding little British flags and wrapped up in their thick dark blue jackets.

Amy Williams
2010 Olympic skeleton champion on BBC TV

"Lizzie Yarnold is a unique athlete. I have been impressed with her training attitude. She saw me win in 2010 and every day she has been bringing in the same principles and gone from strength to strength. She is a natural on the ice, and look how well she has performed this season."

Great Britain has never won more than one gold medal at a Winter Olympics, but hopes remain high that the team can do just that in Sochi.

The British women's curling team and skeleton slider Shelley Rudman are both defending champions.

Meanwhile, Rudman's team-mate Lizzy Yarnold has had a tremendous season, achieving a British-record seven podium finishes in eight races on her way to the skeleton World Cup title.

Find out more on the GB contenders here.

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

"Hazel Irvine and Robin Cousins, who will be commentating on the opening ceremony, are in position and primed to describe all that goes before them. Sophie Brown (right) has researched all the facts you'll hear."

Daniel Sandford
BBC News, Sochi

"Russia is a much more modern nation than people think it is. It has moved away from the Soviet stereotypes. Some of the anti-western attitudes are still there and there is a tension between western countries and Russia.

"President Putin listens carefully to what the world says but also what his own people say. He knows he has the core constituency who have strict, old-fashioned values and he is playing to that. It suits him if he is standing up for these conservative values.

"These Games are very important to Russia and Putin is using this as an opportunity to show they are a new nation."

Russia, hosting an Olympics for the first time since the boycotted Moscow Games of 1980, are under pressure to deliver on the medal front after finishing in 11th place at the last Winter Games in Vancouver - their worst ever performance.

Since then, the nation has devoted £600m to elite winter sport since winning the bid to host these Games seven years ago. In contrast, UK Sport provided £264m for the four-year cycle to London 2012.

Russian attention will be focused on the men's ice hockey team and popular figure skater Evgeni Plushenko, who has overcome injury to feature. Plushenko, the Turin 2006 champion, started his campaign impressively with an enthralling display in yesterday's team figure skating event to help Russia lead the competition.

With the total budget hitting a mindboggling £30bn, the Sochi 2014 Games is comfortably the most expensive Olympics in history. It is more costly than all the previous 21 Winter Olympics combined and three times that of London 2012.

The initial estimate was £7.2bn, but costs escalated. Somehow, they managed to spend £4bn alone on a 30-mile road, which connects the town of Adler with the mountain cluster.

It is three times as expensive as Nasa's project to send the Curiosity rover to Mars (£1.5m). It must be some road.

Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Sochi

"We're being treated to the pre-show entertainment and the stadium is filling up nicely. Each spectator at the opening ceremony is wearing a special LED medal that will form part of a light show later on."

Journalists arriving in the region have found hotel rooms and other facilities unfinished amid a last-minute rush by organisers to complete building work, although the Olympic venues themselves have largely met with praise from athletes.

The organisers, though, look to be ready, with 40,000 spectators expected to take a seat in the £500m Fisht Olympic Stadium (named after the nearby Mount Fisht, obviously) for the opening ceremony, which starts in just over half and hour.

These live texts are nothing without you, so don't be backwards in coming forwards with your Winter Olympics-chat.

Which events are you most looking forward to in Sochi? What are you expecting Russia to deliver in today's opening ceremony? Can Britain record its best Winter Olympics medal haul?

Tweet us using #bbcsochi or text us on 81111 (UK only), remembering to put your name on those messages. Lovely stuff.

Richard Conway
BBC Radio 5 live sports news correspondent in Sochi

Image source, Getty Images

"Pre-show underway. 6 singers belting out 'We Are The Champions'. Show director has form, responsible for Eurovision in Moscow few years ago."