London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony countdown

Follow all the action, news and events from the Olympics including the thoughts from The Independent's journalists, the latest pictures and what the world is saying about The Games

@JeromeTaylor I hope it's a monsoon

by David Simpson 7/27/2012 6:30:18 PM
When are the Olympics starting?
- 9pm

by David Simpson edited by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 6:30:36 PM
70 minutes to go: And people queue to get into Olympic Park

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 6:49:51 PM
Did you know? 34% of the North Korean athletes are surnamed Kim. Among the 19 athletes sharing the family name are women’s footballer Chol Ok, and weightlifter Kum Sok. Also popular are ‘Ri’, with six entries, and ‘Choe’, with four.

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 6:53:53 PM
Cheer just went up. It can only mean one thing: the livestock have arrived. #openingceremony #london2012 @indyolympics

by emilydugan via twitter 7/27/2012 6:59:09 PM
Not giving much away to point out that there's a smoking cottage centre stage that looks like it escaped from Connemara. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 7/27/2012 6:59:31 PM
Boris waves the flag for McDonald's: As a former member of the Bullingdon Club, Boris Johnson is no doubt accustomed to wolfing down the finest food. But yesterday, he treated assembled media types to a spirited defence of Olympic sponsor McDonald’s. Critics have noted that unless athletes have the digestive capacities of Michael Phelps, they’re unlikely to be able to win a gold medal on a diet of Big Macs and McNuggets. Nonsense, according to the Mayor of London. “This is all just bourgeois snobbery about McDonald’s,” he said. “It’s classic liberal hysteria about very nutritious, delicious food – extremely good for you, I’m told – not that I eat a lot of it myself. Apparently this stuff is absolutely bursting with nutrients.”

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:02:03 PM
For those who missed it, here’s the moment Jeremy Hunt dropped a clanger and lost control of a bell at an Olympic publicity event

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:07:37 PM
Just been treated to a fly by by the red arrows. Everyone getting very excited #london2012

by yellif via twitter 7/27/2012 7:15:06 PM
OMG OMG OMG OMG!! Just saw the red arrows go past :') OMG NOW IM BUZZING!!! #buzzing

by Kiikiann via twitter 7/27/2012 7:16:00 PM
Red Arrow salute: The Red Arrows welcome Olympics 2012 with a display over the Olympic Stadium

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:21:39 PM
On holiday so watching #London2012 opening ceremony on French TV. They declare the stadium to be ‘fantastique!’ Oh la la!

by mwarne via twitter 7/27/2012 7:25:51 PM
Oh dear, starting to rain at the Olympic Stadium

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:28:26 PM
The rain has just started to come down inside Olympic Stadium. It wouldn't be a British Olympics if it didn't #indyolympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 7:29:21 PM
Rain at the Olympic opening ceremony - get ready for Cliff Richard to start singing!

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:30:17 PM
Volunteers thanked: Danny Boyle quite rightly says a big thank-you to the 15,000 volunteers involved in tonight's show. To read more click this link... www.independent.co.uk

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:37:57 PM
Phew! Rain appears to be stopping!

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:41:28 PM
Danny Boyle now on. "We're a warn up act for the really import people, the athletes.", #indyolympics #olympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter edited by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:42:02 PM
Folk singer Frank Turner from Winchester is warming up the Olympic stadium crowds.

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:46:32 PM
Just 15 minutes to go!

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:48:20 PM
Really pleased to see Frank Turner getting a world stage. He's a brilliant folk singer. From Winchester too #indyolympics #olympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 7:48:24 PM
Streams of schoolchildren headed for the maypoles. Proper village fete feel #indyolympics #openingceremony

by emilydugan via twitter 7/27/2012 7:52:14 PM
Like some crazy Breughel painting in here. Far away people in smocks kicking pig bladders while white tie trombonists wander. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 7/27/2012 7:54:25 PM
Elgar's Nimrod now putting the crowd in a patriotic mood

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 7:56:00 PM
Oooh, spine tingling strings. Glad we're not being covered by those blue sheets tho #indyolympics #openingceremony

by emilydugan via twitter 7/27/2012 7:58:44 PM
The sea is here. I love these crowd pixels. No idea how much they cost. Squillions. Sod the recession. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 7/27/2012 7:59:52 PM
Prepare for the Isles of Wonder..

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:00:30 PM
1min till Olympics goes live to the world #olympics #indyolympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 8:01:58 PM
I'm expecting the Emmerdale theme tune.

by marcuscleaver 7/27/2012 8:02:59 PM
Clash and Sex Pistols and Muse samples already #indyolympics #olympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 8:04:02 PM
Was that the first piece of humour - children singing Danny Boy(le)?

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:06:15 PM
The village - with rain cloud - in the Olympic stadium

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:08:09 PM
Glad they didn't get Jeremy Hunt to ring that bell.

by marcuscleaver 7/27/2012 8:08:53 PM
Blimey, they've gone for a goosebump offensive on this series of songs. Rousing stuff #openingceremony #indyolympics

by emilydugan via twitter 7/27/2012 8:09:14 PM
Here comes Kenneth Branagh. Time for a spot of Caliban. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 7/27/2012 8:09:15 PM
Drummers galore - not as many as the Beijing opening ceremony though!

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:13:30 PM
This green and pleasant land: The maypole dancers at the opening ceremony

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:14:28 PM
@JeromeTaylor This is becoming a musical crime

by David Simpson 7/27/2012 8:17:31 PM
It's all gone a bit Lord of the Rings. Hobbiton is being swept away by industrial Mordor #indyolympics #olympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 8:17:52 PM
My new dance move is going to be the “mill owner” #indyolympics

by Jeremy_JCook via twitter 7/27/2012 8:18:53 PM
What is the collective noun for dozens of Sergeant Peppers? They've just come into the stadium at any rate

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:20:28 PM
The Industrial Revolution is over. Now it's time for the sexual revolution #indyolympics #olympics

by Jerome Taylor via twitter 7/27/2012 8:21:19 PM
I'd love to hear a translation of the telly commentary from East Timor or Kyrgyzstan on this. Stunned silence I imagine. #indyolympics

by cahalmilmo via twitter 7/27/2012 8:21:28 PM
Here comes James Bond!

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:26:05 PM
The English village gives way to the industrial revolution - as depicted in the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium

by Alan Cleaver 7/27/2012 8:26:43 PM