Pyeongchang Olympics Opening Ceremony 2018 Time, TV Schedule and More

Although some of the action has already begun, the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will officially open on Friday, February 9 with the traditional ceremony to kick off the Games.

The two-hour ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. Korean Standard Time, making it an 11 a.m. GMT start for those watching in the UK and an early 6 a.m. ET rise for audiences in the United States.

The BBC and Eurosport will be broadcasting the Games in the UK with both providing the coverage of the opening ceremony.

In the USA, NBCOlympics.com will provide live streaming of every event of the Olympics, while NBC will also show the ceremony in an 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot for those who prefer to sleep in.

According to the Telegraph, the ceremony is set to follow a similar structure to Sochi's in 2014:

1. Entrance of the head of state

2. National anthem to be played

3. Parade of Nations

4. Symbolic release of doves

5. Games declared open by the head of state

6. Olympic flag is raised and the Olympic anthem played

7. An athlete, official and then a coach take the Olympic oath

8. Torch relay and the Olympic flame

9. Artistic programme

Per CNN's Will Ripley, the event will include a significant display of unity between North and South Korea during the parade:

The curtain-raiser will take place at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, which holds 35,000 people. The Games' official Twitter account showed the venue lit up:

Its open-air design has caused concern among the organisers, though.

According to Hyunjoo Jin of Reuters, an internal document shared by the organising committee revealed the temperature during the ceremony is expected to feel like -14 degrees Celsius, which would mean it surpasses the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway, to become the coldest Olympics on record.

As a result, spectators inside the $58 million venue—which was spared a roof to save time and money during its construction—could be at risk of contracting hypothermia, with measures such as portable heaters, heating pads, blankets and audience participation planned to prevent that, while a wind shield has also been installed.

The conditions could take some of the gloss off the event for those who are there, but for audiences watching at home, the ceremony should prove to be a spectacular and fitting opening to the Games.