London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony - What to expect tonight

 

Here is a clip of what to expect tonight

The London 2012 Olympic Torch at Hampton Court a few hurs ago 

 Exclusive: Zip wire stunt

The opening ceremony of the London Olympics is just minutes away after seven years of preparations. People are already streaming into the park.

The torch relay passed by some of London's most famous landmarks as it made its way down the Thames on the last leg of its 70-day journey an d Hampton Court in Surrey was one of them. 

The Olympic flame then made its way down the Thames. From there it stopped at City Hall on the Queen's rowbarge Gloriana on the final day of the torch relay. In a few hours it will arrive at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford for the main ceremony where the flame's 70-day nationwide journey ends with the lighting of the cauldron during this evening's opening ceremony

The three-hour spectacle in the Olympic Stadium will be viewed by a global TV audience of around a billion people.

The celebration began at 08:12 BST with a mass bell ringing. Big Ben rang for three minutes for the first time since King George VI's funeral.
Around 50 boats took part in the flotilla, each reflecting London's waterborne heritage.

Europe's largest bell will ring inside the Olympic stadium at 21:00 BST at the start of the extravaganza, said to be a quirky take on British life.

Some 15,000 square metres of staging and 12,956 props will be used, and the event will boast a million-watt PA system using more than 500 speakers.

The crowd of about 80,000 will include the Queen and a host of dignitaries and celebrities.

The Queen and Prince Philip will host a Buckingham Palace reception for heads of state and government and an opening ceremony celebration concert featuring Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Duran Duran and Paolo Nutini will be held in Hyde Park.

More than 10,000 athletes from 204 nations will take part in the London Olympics, which has taken £9bn of public money to stage. Coverage of the opening ceremony starts on BBC One at 19:00 BST and Radio Five Live from 18:00 BST.

Watch the Olympic Torch Story Here - Featuring Mohammed Ali.