Olympic Opening Ceremonies 2016: Complete Guide to Watch and Follow the Event

If it still doesn't feel like the Summer Olympics are finally here, Friday's opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro will take care of that.

It's easy for the Olympics to sneak up on casual fans. Most people are only watching swimming, track or gymnastics every four years, completely forgetting to keep count of how long it's been since the last time they watched these stars.

However, all that fun comes back as soon as the opening ceremony begins and we see the thousands of athletes who have worked so hard to get to this stage. Add in an entertaining Brazilian performance, and this is an event you do not want to miss.

Olympic Opening Ceremony

When: Friday, Aug. 5, at 7 p.m. ET

Where: Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

TV: NBC (8 pm. ET)

Live Stream: Telegraph

Preview

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Every opening ceremony features an extended spectacle showcasing the history and culture of the host country. Beijing turned heads in 2008 with a ceremony that featured hundreds of performers in unison. In 2012, London put on an exciting show directed by Danny Boyle, who is known for his films Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, among others.

This year, Brazil will turn to its own accomplished director, Fernando Meirelles, best known for the critically acclaimed film City of God.

The director seems to have taken some inspiration from his movie about a violent slum in Rio for the upcoming performance, as there were rumors that supermodel Gisele Bundchen would be "robbed" during the show. However, this was apparently a misunderstanding that will be cut from the performance, according to Joshua Partlow and Dom Phillips of the Washington Post.

The rest of the show will range from provocative to informative. Gordon Rayner and Tom Morgan of the Telegraph described an interesting segment of the performance:

"

The ceremony, in Rio’s Maracana football stadium, will include references to Brazil’s history of slavery and its colonial past, while the 80,000-strong audience will be asked to imitate monkeys, macaws and the sound of rain (by tapping fingers on their palms) during a segment about the Amazon rainforest. Global warming and the melting of the polar icecaps will also be referenced during a ceremony heavy on environmentalism.

"

There seems to be a lot going on throughout the event, all of which will make it unique for Rio.

On the other hand, much of the ceremony will feature the traditions we have come to know and love from the openings of each Olympics. There will still be the lighting of the torch, the official oath and the parade of nations.

The United States will walk in with some uniforms that are certain to stand out:

Hundreds of Olympians will be representing their countries and enjoying a moment they worked so hard to reach. Among all the great athletes, though, only one earns the special honor of holding the flag at the front of the parade for each nation. This year, the privilege for Team USA goes to Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.

Although Phelps has chosen against even participating in the opening ceremony in the past due to the extra strain on his body, things will be different in his final appearance on the international stage. Phelps recently explained the difference, per Rachel Axon of USA Today:

"

For Sydney, I just wanted to make the team. For Athens, I wanted to win gold for my country. For Beijing, I wanted to do something nobody else had done. In London, I wanted to make history. And now, I want to walk in the opening ceremony, take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, it’s about so much more than medals.

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Entering his fifth Olympics with 22 career medals in total (18 gold), there is no better representative for the country.

Meanwhile, Great Britain will feature another notable flag-bearer in tennis star Andy Murray, per Sky Sports. Although one of the purposes of these games is to find new athletes to cheer for, it's also nice to see familiar faces.

No matter which part of the ceremony you like the most, there will be plenty to enjoy throughout the night in Rio when the 2016 Summer Olympics kick off on Friday. 

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.