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Rio Olympics 2016: 31st Games set for opening ceremony
Brazil is the first South American country to host the Olympics
Olympic Games on the BBC
Hosts: Rio de Janeiro Dates: 5-21 August Rio time: BST -4
Coverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, Red Button and up to 24 HD video streams on mobile, desktop, connected TVs and app, plus follow on Radio 5 live and via live text commentary.
The 31st Olympic Games officially start in Rio on Friday with the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium.
Athletes from 207 nations are in Brazil to compete in 31 sports and be watched by a global audience of billions.
The build-up has been dominated by a Russian doping scandal, the Zika virus and issues with the city's security, infrastructure and venues.
But it is time for the sporting action to take centre stage as the first Olympics in South America begin.
When does it start?
The Games officially take place between 5 and 21 August, but they have actually already started.
The opening ceremony is at midnight BST on Friday night but the action kicked off two days ago with the women's football.
Defending Olympic men's tennis champion Andy Murray will be Great Britain's flag bearer inside Rio's Maracana stadium on Friday.
An estimated three billion people will watch the ceremony, which has taken five years to produce and includes 300 dancers, 5,000 volunteers and 12,000 costumes.
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Briton Dame Judi Dench are confirmed to have roles in the production before the 207 competing nations take part in the Parade of Nations.
You can watch the opening ceremony on BBC One and online, with further coverage on BBC Radio 5 live, from 23:40 BST on Friday.
Brazil is the first South American country to host the Olympics
Olympic Games on the BBC
Hosts: Rio de Janeiro Dates: 5-21 August Rio time: BST -4
Coverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, Red Button and up to 24 HD video streams on mobile, desktop, connected TVs and app, plus follow on Radio 5 live and via live text commentary.
The 31st Olympic Games officially start in Rio on Friday with the opening ceremony at the Maracana Stadium.
Athletes from 207 nations are in Brazil to compete in 31 sports and be watched by a global audience of billions.
The build-up has been dominated by a Russian doping scandal, the Zika virus and issues with the city's security, infrastructure and venues.
But it is time for the sporting action to take centre stage as the first Olympics in South America begin.
When does it start?
The Games officially take place between 5 and 21 August, but they have actually already started.
The opening ceremony is at midnight BST on Friday night but the action kicked off two days ago with the women's football.
Defending Olympic men's tennis champion Andy Murray will be Great Britain's flag bearer inside Rio's Maracana stadium on Friday.
An estimated three billion people will watch the ceremony, which has taken five years to produce and includes 300 dancers, 5,000 volunteers and 12,000 costumes.
Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and Briton Dame Judi Dench are confirmed to have roles in the production before the 207 competing nations take part in the Parade of Nations.
You can watch the opening ceremony on BBC One and online, with further coverage on BBC Radio 5 live, from 23:40 BST on Friday.