French judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, light Olympic flame
Celine Dion then performs partway up the Eiffel Tower
Lady Gaga, Zinedine Zidane and the Minions among those involved in breathtaking performance
Diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover Great Britain's flagbearers
Watch: Rapper Snoop Dogg carries Olympic torch through Paris
Image source, Getty ImagesNine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis on BBC One: "Who would have thought I'd be working with the number one British sprinter [Louie Hinchliffe] right now? It's exciting - exciting for him.
"My job now is to make sure we continue on this mission. I always say 'make a race you can duplicate' and he's done that the last couple of months. If he does that - he'll be in the final."
#bbcolympics, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)
This feels like the first ‘proper’ Olympic Games to get really excited about in eight years, since Rio 2016. Tokyo hosted a great Games three years ago, but it didn’t feel and look the same without crowds due to the global restrictions. Wishing Paris all the best of luck for the next month.
Andrew
Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Paris
Tell me you’re in France without telling me you’re in France…
Food and drink stalls line the riverside and it wouldn’t be a Parisian games without a bit of cheese, would it?
Image source, BBC SportThe rain has been coming down in the French capital over the last hour or so but that isn't dampening the spirits of the VIPs.
American singer Kelly Clarkson is the latest to get a snap in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Image source, ReutersJess Anderson
BBC Sport in Paris
Image source, BBC SportNoooo! Il pleut!
It has been threatening all evening and the rain has finally arrived. The brollies are up, the pack-a-macs and ponchos are out.
I don’t reckon spirits will be dampened, though.
Rebecca Adlington
Double Olympic gold-medal winning swimmer on BBC TV
There are so many young stars at this Olympics and it must be so strange for them especially if they did go to Tokyo because that was such a separate Games, it was so, so different.
This time it's probably going to be shocking and overwhelming and a bit 'what's going off?' but at the same time it's so exciting.
What a moment in history.
Our audio description stream is live for this year’s Olympics opening ceremony. You can select audio description on your TV remote or go to BBC iPlayer and there is a live British Sign Language interpretation.
Harry Poole
BBC Sport in Paris
It isn’t half lively by the Louvre.
Thousands of people are gathered outside France’s famous art museum, where the crowds are at least eight deep by the river.
Luckily there is also a big screen here, and a bar to keep everyone hydrated for the hours ahead.
Many have clearly been here for a while to guarantee a spot. Not a bad spot for a picnic.
Paris 2024: Tom Hiddleston opens BBC’s Olympic Games coverage
Missed our opening section to our Olympic Games coverage? Well, no need to worry as you can watch Tom Hiddleston talking you through the intro.
#bbcolympics, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)
Sarah-Jane Hamilton: What a fabulous collection of Olympic moments it's so hard to choose. I cried when Nick Skelton won his gold but Daley Thompson was phenomenal - too many AMAZING medals to choose.
BBC One
We are live on BBC One with the Olympics opening ceremony from 17:45 BST until 22:30.
You can watch all the action in this very page by pressing the 'watch live' tab at the top. This is UK only.
There is also a signed stream here.
Spain, Sydney 2000
Image source, GettSpain won three gold medals at the Sydney Games. Judoka Isabel Fernandez took gold in the lightweight division, cyclist Joan Llaneras won the points race and gymnast Gervasio Deferr won the men's horse vault.
With the athletes' parade always comes a bold array of looks - not least when the Olympics are taking place this time in one of the world's style capitals.
Team USA and Team GB will be kitted out by Ralph Lauren and Ben Sherman respectively. Other eye-catching outfits come courtesy of Stella Jean, whose designs for Haiti are designed to project a vibrant image of the Caribbean nation.
The event's organisers say some 3,000 unique costumes have been made for both the Olympic and Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies in a secretive workshop near Paris. Many will be made of recycled materials as the Games looks to stress its green ethos.
The woman stitching together this part of the visual spectacle is Daphné Bürki, who says she has been getting ready for the "biggest show of the 21st century four times over".
Shall we have a look back at some more of those classic outfits from previous opening ceremonies?
Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Paris
On our travels around the entrance to the opening ceremony we bumped into Lucy and Dayana.
Lucy is from Yorkshire and is here supporting Great Britain with her partner, who is from Venezuela.
They have tickets to the gymnastics and the rugby sevens later this week and were looking forward to finding a bar to watch the opening ceremony this evening!
Image source, BBC SportAmerican singer Ariana Grande and English actor Cynthia Erivo are the latest to arrive at the Trocadero ahead of the opening ceremony.
Image source, PA MediaHarry Poole
BBC Sport in Paris
There are police and military everywhere you look.
The scale of the security operation required to make this unique opening ceremony possible cannot be overstated, and the numbers on the ground will certainly reassure many of their safety.
Behind the security fencing, onlookers have arrived at riverside cafes and bars early to ensure they can feel part of the action - despite their limited view of proceedings.
The Olympic torch travelled to the French capital from Greece in a massive relay that began more than three months ago. As part of its journey, the torch was briefly transported on the world’s longest rowing boat - the 24-seat Stampfli Express.
As for who gets the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron - tradition dictates that the identity of the final torchbearer stays a secret until the big televised reveal.
That duty has previously fallen to the likes of Muhammad Ali in Atlanta in 1996 and to Aboriginal sprinter Cathy Freeman in Sydney four years later.
Among those who've carried the torch so far are French former footballer Thierry Henry (pictured), judo star Romane Dicko and Snoop Dogg, of course.
Image source, Getty ImagesTeam GB, London 2012
Image source, Getty ImagesLondon 2012 was Team GB's most successful Games since 1908, with 65 medals. On Super Saturday, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah won gold medals at the Olympic Stadium in the space of 44 minutes.
Flagbearer Sir Chris Hoy won a historic treble of golds.
Indonesia, Rio 2016
Image source, GettIndonesia won three medals at the Rio Games. Alongside two silver medals in weightlifting, Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir won gold in the badminton mixed doubles event.
Malaysia, London 2012
Image source, Getty ImagesMalaysia won two medals at the London Games. Diver Pandelela Rinong took bronze in the women's 10m platform event and made history by becoming the first Malaysian female athlete to win an Olympics medal.
