Olympic Opening Ceremony Time 2016: Key USA Viewing Info for Rio's Epic Event
The 2016 Rio Olympic Games is finally here, which means the biggest spectacle of the year is set to get underway Friday evening from the beautiful Brazilian city.
And while details regarding this year's opening ceremonies have been kept under wraps, a few tidbits have trickled out regarding what's expected to be a stunning display.
But before diving into the particulars, here's a rundown of when and where you can catch the extravaganza.
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| Friday, Aug. 5 | 7 p.m. | NBC (Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET) | Telegraph Sport, BBC One |
Opening Ceremony Preview
Four years ago at the Summer Olympics in London, filmmaker Danny Boyle was tabbed to direct the opening ceremonies.
Now, a similar approach is being taken in Brazil.
According to NBCOlympics.com's Nathan Clark, Fernando Meirelles, who directed the film City of God, was selected as the man to orchestrate the evening's events from a theatrical perspective.
And by all accounts, the celebration will focus on Brazil's beauty and all that the country has to offer as international eyes get ready to take in spectacular sights and sounds.
"We have listened to specialists, like anthropologist Hermano Vianna, who have different visions of what Brazil is," Meirelles said, per Rio2016.com. "It will be a synthesis of our popular culture."
According to the Daily Mail's Caroline Graham, one element of the show will feature Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, wife of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, in a prominent role.
"Gisele will strut into Rio’s Maracana stadium to the strains of the famous bossa nova jazz song [Girl from Ipanema], played on a piano by Brazilian musician Paolo Jobim, whose late father Antonio composed the worldwide hit in 1962," Graham wrote.
Furthermore, Graham reported that Brazilian soccer legend Pele will likely light the Olympic cauldron to officially signal the opening of this year's Games.
"These Opening Ceremonies will be a celebration of Brazilian culture, of Rio, of the pageantry, of the excitement, of the flair that this beautiful nation has," NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus said in July, per USA Today's Nancy Armour.
Given the excitement that that has enveloped the run-up to one of the year's most anticipated events, the opening ceremony in Rio shouldn't disappoint as the world gets ready to sit back and admire the finest athletes on the planet.
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