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Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Paris

The crowds are starting to pour towards the Seine.

Sir Chris Hoy
Six-time Olympic cycling champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

The lift I got from walking in there [as flagbearer for Team GB].

There's something special that's not tangible, you can’t put a finger on it but it definitely helps you.

It’s a moment I’ll always remember.

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Paris

It’s chaos at a patisserie near the Eiffel Tower.

A pigeon has got amongst the cakes…

Sir Chris Hoy
Six-time Olympic cycling champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

The Olympic Games is something different to a World Championships or any other international competition. It's difficult to put your finger on what it is that gets momentum going and builds a team but once you've got it started, you've got something to build on.

You start off by looking at other sports that do well, we always used to look at the rowers and think 'look at how they're doing it'. If we can do it in rowing maybe we can do it in cycling too.

We inspire each other across sports and then generation to generation.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport in Paris

Image source, France 2

You feel like you have got lucky if you’re anywhere near Paris right now. And it makes you feel happy.

Fittingly, Pharrell Williams - who famously sang Get Lucky (with a different connotation to bagging Olympic opening ceremony tickets) and Be Happy - is part of the torch-carrying relay.

The staggeringly-smooth superstar picks up the baton from French model/actress Laetitia Casta as part of a musical curtain-raiser shown live across the nation on state broadcaster France 2.

This part of the pomp is taking place in Saint-Denis, just north of central Paris and where the Stade de France is located.

The flame will be working its way down to the Seine over the next couple of hours.

Image source, France 2

Scarlett Hutton
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Getty Images

Skateboarding is back and it’s something brother and sister duo Bailey and Taye are pretty excited about.

Newsbeat spoke to the pair at the skatepark in Kent that is owned by their dad.

Taye, 18, says she “didn't think would ever get this big”.

“Now that it has, it's so good just to see everyone hopping on board and it's so interesting to watch,” she says.

“You see girls coming up here mentioning it to me, being like, it’s so cool to see it. And now they want to start because it's [going to be] televised everywhere.”

Her older brother Bailey, 20, thinks for a while people didn't see skateboarding as a sport.

“More people have tried it and realise that it is pretty hard, it's pretty fun and yeah, it takes a lot of effort.”

Amy Lofthouse
BBC Sport in Paris

I slightly regret not getting my Olympic merch earlier… the queue at the shop I just passed is about 50 people deep and growing.

Image source, BBC Sport

Moe Sbihi
Olympic champion rower on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's going to be phenomenal.

It’s so unique to be able to do something that goes through the heart of a capital city.

You can imagine putting it on the River Thames, going through each of the bridges, going past the Houses of Parliament, going through Tower Bridge.

It’s that iconic that, yeah it’s great having it in stadiums but to do something so unique like this in Paris with such amazing architecture, the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, it's going to be amazing.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Paris

Before those lucky ticket holders take their seats along the river for tonight’s opening ceremony, very few people can get anywhere near because of the huge levels of security and road closures. Fortunately, we were allowed to access the banks a little earlier, and got a glimpse of what is to come.

Image source, BBC Sport

Photographers are already taking up their positions, hours before the start of the ceremony.

Image source, BBC Sport

And as we were walking along, we could suddenly hear musical instruments playing.

Look carefully at the windows of this building, the Supreme Court. It’s tricky to see but in each open window is a musician with a brass instrument.

In the very middle, there are two fancy seats adorned by flags. I wonder which VIPs will be sitting there?

Image source, BBC Sport

Sir Chris Hoy
Six-time Olympic cycling champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

It still stands out as one of the highlights of my whole career [carrying the Great Britain flag during the opening ceremony at London 2012].

I remember the feeling at the time, of all the highs and lows to get to London.

At 36 years of age I was pretty old by track sprint standards. I had to work so hard just to be there and I remember thinking it was worth it for that moment.

Walking out, leading your team out and you’ve been chosen by your teammates to carry this flag. The roar from the home crowd, David Bowie’s Heroes playing, gold confetti in the air.

It’s bringing it all back, I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it now.

Image source, Getty Images

Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Paris

Many of you might not be familiar with the geography of Paris. Hopefully this will help.

The parade part of this evening’s ceremony on the Seine ends at Pont d’Iena.

On one side of the bridge is Trocadero (pictured above). That’s where the end of the ceremony will take place and, we think, where President Macron will officially open the Games.

If I turn around 180 degrees and look the other way I see the Eiffel Tower with its added five Olympic rings looming above me.

So, how will you be watching tonight's opening ceremony? At home with friends and family - or are you among the lucky ones in Paris?

And we're still keen to hear your favourite Olympic opening ceremony moments from years gone by.

Get in touch using the details above.

Harry Poole
BBC Sport in Paris

Large crowds are gathering around the various entry points along the River Seine as lucky ticket holders await permission to head towards their seats.

There’s a buzz of anticipation here close to Notre Dame, where in the background you might just be able to pick out the blue and red seats of the stand on the Pont au Change bridge.

I was told earlier those with tickets have been asked to head to their seats around two hours before the ceremony gets under way.

So, not too long to wait for that moment now…

Novak Djokovic has praised Andy Murray as the British tennis star prepares for his final competition at the Paris Olympics before retiring.

Murray will play in the men's doubles alongside Dan Evans, having withdrawn from the singles event.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Paris

Still time to grab a bit of Olympics merch before tonight’s proceedings begin…

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Greg Searle, Olympic champion rower from Barcelona 1992, speaking to BBC 5 Live's Nicky Campbell: “The Olympic games is really special to be a part of.

"I remember when Steve Redgrave got chosen to carry the flag - it was my first Olympic Games. We had a meeting down in the basement in the apartments we were staying at just outside Barcelona.

"Steve spoke to all of the rowers about the fact the Olympic Games were special and it was different. You could almost forget the form book. It was quite inspiring.”

Image source, Getty Images

Roger Black, three-time Olympic medallist in the men's 400m and 4x400m, speaking to BBC 5 Live's Nicky Campbell: “It’s amazing if they go well. Barcelona 92 didn’t go well, I can’t say I particularly enjoyed it. Four years later - I went to Atlanta and had a fantastic Olympics.

“You’re in a bit of a bubble in your head, you’re not there to enjoy it - you’re there to get the job done and then you can enjoy it.

“For me it was quite a serious business, I knew the magnitude of the Olympics. I knew that a successful Olympics was the dream.

“Everybody in the world has a connection to the Olympic Games. You’re aware of that history. No matter where I am in the world, if I’m giving presentations, I can get out an Olympic medal, no matter what country anybody comes from, they get it.

“I often get asked, ‘what’s it like to walk into an Olympic final?’ There’s nothing like it, because of the consequences. The athletes who are in Paris now - they’re actually focusing now on not getting hurt. They’ve got to look after themselves.

"It’s that balancing act, between being positive and being absolutely focussing on the perfect race but in the back of your mind you’re also thinking about not tripping up or not getting food poisoning. The margins are so small at the Olympic Games but the consequences - because you can’t come back next year, you have to wait four years. Four years is an eternity in sport.”

Gail Emms, Olympic Badminton silver medallist at Athens 2004, speaking to BBC 5 Live's Nicky Campbell this morning...

“Twenty years ago my life changed forever. That’s what the Olympics can do for you. You’re just doing your thing, playing a bit of badminton and then the next thing you know - you’re representing your country and six million people are watching badminton on TV, and no one watches badminton.

"And that’s it - your life is never the same. You don’t do it for fame or fortune, you do it for love, for your family and friends who’ve supported you. Then you realise the power of the Olympics.

“There’s a sport for everyone. That’s what the Olympics really highlights. You see that your body could be apt for it. We’re all different shapes and sizes as well. It is beautiful watching something you’ve never watched before.”

Image source, Getty Images

Iwan Thomas MBE is a Welsh sprinter who represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympic Games in the 400 metres. Thomas is a former European, Commonwealth Games and World 4x400 metres relay champion.

“The night before the final, we were thinking we could get gold. But to walk away with silver, especially in Atlanta [in 1996] which was a very unsuccessful games - there was no lottery funding - for me was a big achievement.

“I’m here now [in Paris], we’re all absolutely so excited to get going tonight. There’s lesser known sports that ever four years have that small window of opportunity to become household names. That’s what makes the Olympics so special.

“My main sport growing up was BMX racing and at the time it wasn’t an Olympic sport. It was a backstreet sport, people loved it, it was dangerous and edgy. But now it’s in the Olympics - the likes of Kye Whyte and Bethany Shriever, we’ve got some fantastic BMX racers.

"It’s those sports like the breakdancing or the climbing, which you wouldn’t really see on TV but there’s superstars out there who perhaps won’t get that window but in the Olympic Games they’ve got a shot to really change their lives forever, outside their sport and excite the next generation. That’s what it’s about - giving people dreams and reasons to try hard in their sport."

Image source, Getty Images