KATY PERRY's 'RISE' FUNKY MUSIC welcome to the world-famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro for the opening of the games of the 31st Olympiad. Around 11,000 of the world's finest athletes have assembled to represent the people of the world in the greatest sporting spectacle on earth. And tonight it all begins in the packed house at the Maracana and in front of billions of people in the world. DRAMATIC MUSIC WAVES ROAR So the story of the opening ceremony begins. The birth of life. The land of the palm trees. INTENSE MUSIC INTENSE MUSIC CONTINUES The Brazilian territory was almost entirely covered by thick forest when the Europeans landed here 500 years ago. This is about the first inhabitants, the indigenous. There are about 900,000 into different ethnic groups which speak 274 different languages. CHEERING, APPLAUSE BIRDS TWEET INSECTS CALL SOFT MUSIC FLUTTERING MUSIC BUILDS DRUM BEATS BUILD Every June since 50 years ago, there is a face-off in the arena of the Amazon rainforest. The 72 dancers represent the indigenous heritage. MUSIC CONTINUES BEATING CHEERING, APPLAUSE PAN PIPE MUSIC PLAYS DRUMMING CONTINUES CHEERING, APPLAUSE Now the bands form three huge native huts. MUSIC DEEPENS DRAMATIC FLOURISHES And so came the arrival of the Europeans. The journey of the Portuguese through uncharted oceans. For the Portuguese, this was the land where everything grows. In fact one of the first things to grow here was A tree was used to make red dye. This tree ended up naming the country, Brazil. Naturally, the arrival of the Europeans leaves a trail on the landscape. CHEERING, APPLAUSE MECHANICAL MUSIC The next stage of the journey, the building of contemporary Brazil. INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES INTRIGUING MUSIC CONTINUES DRAMATIC MUSIC THUMPING MUSIC THUMPING MUSIC BUILDS MACHINERY WHIRRS INTENSE MUSIC INTENSE MUSIC CONTINUES INTENSE MUSIC CONTINUES INTENSE MUSIC CONTINUES RATTLING And then the appearance of the great Brazilian, Alberto Santos-Dumont. ENGINE WHIRRS They will say the Wright brothers were the first fly. The Brazilians will tell you otherwise GENTLE MUSIC And so the moment arrives for the athletes. As tradition dictates, in 1896, the nation where it all began - Greece is the first into the Olympic Stadium. It's a different parade of nations this year. Because they will come through the middle of the stadium, is there is no athletic track. They will parade through the centre and mingle afterwards with all the other nations, other national Olympic committees in Rio de Janeiro. As you mentioned, tradition dictates. To explain the order, it is alphabetically in Portuguese. One of the traditional powerhouses of the Olympic competition. The four-time world champion, two-time Olympic champion, Anna carries the flag. John from the AOC welcomes his team. The Cook Islands waving the flag of their country. The K-1 to knowing competitor holds the flag. You have to go back to history - very deliberately the most successful Olympian in the history of the Olympic Games, Michael Phelps leads them out. 18 gold medals, a total of 22. If he were an independent nation, he would rank inside the top 14 most successful Olympic committees. He has more Gold medals than India, Nigeria. Picked up enough iron to qualify for the United States in weightlifting - there are so many stories that come out of the United States in this Olympic team. Speaking of leading out nations, Fiji's redhot rugby sevens team captain leads out Fiji. They are the reigning world rugby sevens champs. The sevens makes its debut at the Olympics this year. Three-time hosts of the Olympic Games, including the last Olympic Games four years ago. One of only five countries to have competed in all 27 previous games. The flag bearer is Andy Murray, the defending Olympic champion. Playing his first tournament since winning his second Wimbledon. Last month Kiribati is a Pacific Ocean island nation with an interesting geographical location. It is the only nation in all the four world hemispheres. Some interesting characters. Getting into the carnival atmosphere. Here come athletes from the world's smallest independent republic. Just 21 km/h2 in the Micronesian South Pacific. Co-captains of this NZ side. It is Peter Burling who is carrying the flag. And beside him is Blair Tuke. Samoan attending the Olympic Games for the ninth time. The first was in Los Angeles in 1984. A group of islands in the South Pacific about halfway between Hawaii and NZ. Just one medal at previous Olympics. That was a silver at the Atlanta games 20 years ago. Men's super heavyweight boxing. 100m sprinter as a support team behind. He is the only competitor from Tuvalu in Rio. Venezuela, Ruben Limardo. The only medallist in London. A magnificent moment in Olympic history. Amongst their ranks Yusra Mardini, the swimmer, who when crossing to Greece with her fellow refugees, saw that the dinghy she was travelling in was sinking, she died in and saved her her fellow travellers. After that she said that competing in the Olympics maybe not so hard at all. As tradition dictates, it is the home nation. Brazil. CROWD ROARS So many of these athletes have been dreaming of this very moment since 2 October 2009, when it was announced that Rio de Janeiro would be the host city for the Olympic games. And now that dream comes true. A proud nation looks on. Just a magnificent reception for the Brazilian athletes. They have some real superstars in their ranks. That includes Barcelona's sensational striker, Neymar. He tops the list on the most followed athletes in social media. Silver in the polevault, aiming for gold in her home country. The pentathlete is the flag bearer for Brazil, Yane Marques. What a moment in front of your home nation. ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the athletes of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. MUSIC SWELLS The famous symbol turns green. Not the five colours. A reminder to us all that the idea of looking after the world should be universal. The question that has been on everybody's lips in recent times here in Rio is who will light the flame, how will it be done and what will the cauldron look like. We are about to find out. DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS A journey that has taken the flame all the way from Greece to Rio is about to end. The Olympic flame is being carried by... TROIS FOIS CHAMPION DE ROLAND GARROS ET EX-NUMERO UN MONDIAL, GUSTAVO KUETEN. THREE-TIME ROLAND GARROS CHAMPION AND FORMER NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, GUSTAVO KEURTEN. TRICAMPEAO DE ROLAND GARROS E EX NUMERO 1 DO MUNDO, GUSTAVO KEURTEN. JOUEUSE DE BASKETBALL, MEDAILLE D ARGENT A ATLANTA EN 1996, HORTENCIA MARCARI. BASKETBALL PLAYER, SILVER MEDALLIST, ATLANTA 1996, HORTENCIA MARCARI. OGADORA DE BASQUETE, MEDALHISTA DE PRATA, ATLANTA 1996, HORTENCIA MARCARI. PIERRE DE COUBERTIN MEDAILLE HONOREE. MEDAILLE DE BRONZE, MARATHON, ATHENES 2004, PIERRE DE COUBIRTIN MEDAL HONOREE. BRONZE MEDAL, MARATHON, ATHENS 2004, OUTORGADO COM A MEDALHA PIERRE DE COUBERTIN. MEDALHA DE BRONZE, MARATONA, ATENAS 2004, VANDERLEI CORDEIRO DE LIMA. CHEERING MUSIC INTENSIFIES MUSIC FLOURISHES STRING MUSIC SOARS This cauldron in Brazil breaks the tradition that produce a large volume of fire because it is small and low in emissions, in keeping with the games. A huge sculpture behind the flame representing the sun a source of energy that we should all exploit. CHEERING DRAMATIC STRING MUSIC Rio closes its opening ceremony Reaffirming to the world that we should make the effort to change our way of living on the planet. and let us sit back and enjoy the next 16 days, but Brazil thinks let us look beyond that too. DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS MUSIC SOARS The conclusion of the ceremony, the flame will be taken from the maracana into the centre of the city so that all the visitors of this wonderful city can be touched by the Olympic flame. STRING MUSIC CONTINUES ORCHESTRAL MUSIC SOARS MUSIC CRESCENDOES CHEERING What a finale, but it is only just beginning.