London Olympic Games opening ceremonyLive

Now the national anthem of the United Kingdom, performed by the Kaos Signing Choir.

Here's a first-person piece by the BBC's head of drama, Nic Brown: How James Bond whisked the Queen to the Olympics.

Her Majesty is accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and IOC president Jacques Rogge.

Two figures parachute out of the helicopter, one dressed as Her Majesty!

We're above the Olympic Stadium, there is a helicopter.

The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square waves as the helicopter flies over London and through Tower Bridge.

Her Majesty and James Bond leave the palace and step onto a chopper.

The Queen and Daniel Craig slowly walk down Buckingham Palace corridor.

We now see a film of Buckingham Palace - with overhead shots and film of tourists taking a look round. A black cab draws up and Daniel Craig (aka James Bond) races up the stairs and into the building.

And a huge roar goes up from the crowd as the first musical sequence comes to an end.

The men in top hats applaud and salute the rings as a pall of smoke from the iron smelting drifts away over the stadium.

Five Olympic rings seemingly made from molten steel, rise from the ground and come together in a shower of sparks.

We also have a replica of the Windrush ship, which brought the first West Indian immigrants over to England after the Second World War.

Can you spot...?

The following are among the performers in this segment alongside the industrialists: Windrush passengers and porters, steel band members, Suffragettes and pearly Kings and Queens...

Workers spent four months "breaking down" the costumes, in other words wearing them down so that they would look realistic - and not brand-new - during the ceremony.

But here is a bright splash of colour representing The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper uniforms.

The men in top hats remain a constant as the ceremony continues - there is lots of movement in the centre of the stadium, people walking here and there.

We now have both men and women drummers beating away at bigger drums and we also see what appears to be looms from the cotton mills.

Time keeps marching on and we now have a group of First World War soldiers - the men in top hats take them off and show respect for those who lost their lives in the 1914-1918 conflict.

The word Pandemonium, by the way, was coined by poet John Milton: It was the name of the capital of Hell in Paradise Lost.

A group of Suffragettes enter the stadium and we now see six chimneys smoking away - with a person climbing down the side of each one.

The men in top hats look up into the crowd and other members of the cast are dragging things around the set - including what seem to be gates, rolled up pieces of turf and even a small building.

The music for this section of the ceremony is And I Will Kiss, by Underworld, a British electronic duo who previously collaborated with director Danny Boyle on the films Trainspotting and Sunshine.

Men are marching up and down the hill, groups of people in peasant costume are walking around carrying heavy objects, the group of men in top hat and tails are shaking hands with each other - and all the time the 1,000 drummers keep on beating.

And beating.

Tonight's ceremony is set taking the watching world through "great revolutions in British society", including the Industrial Revolution, the "revolution of social attitudes" of the 1960s onwards, and the digital revolution of the 21st Century.

The drumming is being led by Dame Evelyn Glennie, who - having been profoundly deaf for almost her entire life - often plays barefoot "in order to feel the music more accurately", according to our guide.

Almost a thousand drummers are taking part.

After the Green and Pleasant Land opening this part of the ceremony is called Pandemonium.

It covers subjects ranging from the Industrial Revolution to World War One, trade unionism, Chelsea Pensioners, Suffragettes and the Jarrow hunger marchers, in a 15-minute segment celebrating Britain's role as "the workshop in the world" in its industrial heyday.

Danny Boyle promises this is a ceremony with a theme of "this is for everyone".

He adds it contains "a celebration of the creativity, exuberance and, above all, the generosity of the British people".

He warns that there are "no spectators - everyone in the stadium will be part of the magic".

Kenneth Branagh plays Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the ceremony, speaking Caliban's lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest.

"Be not afeard: the isle is full of noises..."

Brunel, who died comparatively young by modern standards at 53, managed in that time to become a world-leading engineer of steamships, bridges, tunnels and railways.

All four countries of the UK were represented in song - Jerusalem, Danny Boy, Flower of Scotland and Bread of Heaven sung by youngsters, some of whom are not in the stadium.

A horsedrawn carriage is on the track and a man in an old top hat carrying a book under his arm steps out, to meet several other men dressed in similar garb.

The choir in the stadium, all wearing yellow hooped tops, carry on singing Jerusalem.

As the sound of the bell dies away a young soloist sings Sir Hubert Parry's setting of William Blake's poem Jerusalem. And we hear the strains of Danny Boy being sung by a young choir.

Milkmaids are tossing apples from one to the other, a village cricket match takes place - with an unsuccessful lbw appeal - and there's morris dancing.

The banners in the crowd come down and to huge cheers we are almost ready for the official ceremony to begin.

A classical orchestra sitting on the grass are playing Elgar's Nimrod. The waterwheel is turning and there is also maypole dancing going on.

Some members of the crowd are now all sitting under long blue banners which means we can not see them for the moment.

A quick reminder that you can watch the opening ceremony in 3D on the BBC HD Channel.

Ooh, they've picked up that football they were playing with and run with it. Rugby is born!

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has just issued the Olympic truce, calling on all countries to declare peace for the Games.

There are just 10 minutes until the start of the opening ceremony - how excited are you feeling?

Contact us via text message (81111 - UK only), Twitter (@BBC2012) or Facebook - full details are under the Get Involved tab on the right-hand side.

Frank is standing on a hillside with his band on higher brows of the hill.

A group of milkmaids ran down the side of the tor during his performance, while an old-style football match was also taking place.

Check out the latest images from the Olympic opening ceremony.

Frank's performing I Still Believe in front of actors playing out a selection of traditional British sports.

Big gig for Frank Turner, playing now on the "Glastonbury Tor" at one end of the stadium.

Ba, ba baaa, the crowd sing. Well, there are sheep in the middle.

Former Olympic cycling champion Chris Boardman says the current success of British cycling is unprecedented. "This is the strongest team we have ever fielded for an Olympics."

Thirty minutes to go and it's raining in the Olympic Stadium. Such is the anticipation of Danny Boyle's technical wizardry that there is confusion over whether it is real rain or fake!

As the clock ticks ever closer to 21:00, we've had our last glimpse from inside the stadium for a while as some final setting up takes place.

On Weymouth beach, where hundreds of people have gathered to watch the opening ceremony on a giant screen, triple gold medal winning sailor Ben Ainslie says: "It's such a great atmosphere with a home Olympics and to see so many people here... it's fantastic."

Ainslie is looking bling in a Team GB jacket with a gold-lined hood.

An enormous cheer goes up in the Olympic Stadium as the Red Arrows fly over, trailing red, white and blue smoke

The ceremony reflects the history of the women's movement with a nod to the efforts of Emmeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes. And taking a role in the show will be her great granddaughter Helen Pankhurst.

She says: "The contribution they made to British history with respect to the vote and political equality, to get that into a show like this was particularly important."

Several Team GB athletes who are not going to the ceremony, including Jess Ennis and Dai Greene, say they will be nonetheless be watching together. The duo are at the athletics holding camp in Portugal.

An hour to go now before the start of the ceremony and we have animals! It's a veritable Old Macdonald's scene: there are geese, cows, goats and a horse-drawn cart.

The 80,000 seats are filling up here inside the Olympic Stadium. The skies are grey and threaten showers from above above - will it be real rain, fake rain, or both, for Danny Boyle's £27m spectacular?

GB table tennis players Paul Drinkhall and Joanna Parker will both be in singles action on Saturday so they will miss the opening ceremony but the duo, who live together, have said they will spend a romantic night watching the spectacle from a balcony in the Olympic Village.

Drinkhall, 22, said: "I think we both know what we are going through, it's easy to talk to each other and sometimes you need to talk to someone that you really trust and it's really easy with her. It's great to have these experiences with someone like that."

Speaking about what lies ahead in his show, Director Danny Boyle says he had to make sure it doesn't "befuddle" everyone abroad. Boyle says his shows aims to be "spectacular while feeling inclusive, with a warmth about it that might surprise". And he says there will definitely be drumming in the show because it's wonderful.

Looking ahead tomorrow's sporting action, middleweight Anthony Ogogo will open Team GB's boxing campaign against Dominican Republic boxer Junior Castillo Martinez. And three women - Natasha Jonas, Nicola Adams and Savannah Marshall - fight for GB as women's boxing makes its Olympic debut.

Team leader Rob McCracken said: "Seven out of our 10 boxers will be highly seeded which shows the way the sport has moved on. They're a talented bunch and they're a nice group of youngsters and the future is really promising for them."

Nicky Trotman on the BBC 2012 Facebook page: "I'm completely excited! I've had the most fun watching all the torch relay coverage & I'm trying to contain myself until 9pm comes along!"

The BBC's Gary Lineker says carrying the torch during the 70-day relay was a very emotional experience.

The world's largest harmonically-tuned bell is hanging in the Stadium which will be rung to signal the start of the ceremony. It was to have been cast at the Whitechapel foundry in east London but was eventually sent to the Netherlands as the foundry did not have the capacity. It will be hung in the Olympic Park after the Games.

1938: Sir Matthew Pinsent reminds Sir Chris Hoy that there is a slightly macho tradition of carrying the union jack one-handed at the opening ceremony. Pinsent did it in 2000, following his crew-mate Sir Steve Redgrave's lead from 1996.

Hoy replies that it's a "no brainer" to use one hand, adding that swimmer Mark Foster "took some stick" for not doing so in Beijing.

Olympic silver medal winning swimmer Sharron Davies says "The Olympics are just so special everything else pales into insignificance. These Games are just the best there have been."

About to change into his "eye-catching" opening ceremony uniform, GB flagbearer Sir Chris Hoy says it is very bright with a little bit of gold. As the host country, Team GB's athletes will be the last into the stadium this evening.

People are watching on big screens in Belfast and Edinburgh and even on the beach in sunny Weymouth.

The stadium is dressed for director Danny Boyle's vision of "a green and pleasant land". We can see a maypole, a waterwheel, a tree on a hill and those fluffy floating clouds.

One lucky local resident waiting inside for the ceremony to start says: "When you look over the set you realise what a once in a lifetime show this is going to be."

Speaking about expectations of Team GB taking home 48 medals Sir Steve Redgrave says: "I think we will hit the overall target very easily".

I think this will be the most dramatic 100m in the history of the Games. It's because Usain Bolt is not at his best. Now you have Yohan Blake who has proven time and again "Usain, if you leave the door open I will walk through it".

There are fluffy "clouds" floating around the Olympic Stadium at head height as people come into the stadium.

Have a first proper look at the set in the Olympic Stadium with Huw Edwards. Click on this link then click the Play button to go back to the opening sequence of the BBC One programme.

Five-time Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave is asked if he will light the cauldron tonight.

"How many times have I been asked that question? We will find out soon. I've not had the call so I still have my phone with me," he jokes.

Hello to those getting in touch via social media.

Jane Voss says: "Very excited. Save the secret."

Marisa Renderljorne says: "Wishing you all the nicest games in London 2012. May we see joyful and peaceful games together and in unity. Best wishes from Mwanza, Tanzania! Counting the minutes!"

Marina Harden says: "Got goosebumps, on my goosebumps!"

Come join us and comment on Facebook and Tweet us too @bbc2012.

It looks like the Jubilympics here.

Lots of people have donned the red, white and blue for their country's big day.

People from Mansfield are already shouting for its daughter, swimmer Becky Adlington.

BBC One's live coverage of the build-up to tonight's extravaganza has just started - you can watch it online here if you are in the UK.

The ceremony itself gets under way in two hours.

Crowds are pouring through the gates at the bridge by the Aquatics Centre.

How was their journey? Reports that the Tube, DLR and newer Javelin trains were "fine". Some say a bit busy, but no delays, no frayed tempers.

Security looks quick but thorough - one woman tells me she almost lost her biscuits as they looked suspicious on the scanner.

Weather-watching? The latest BBC forecast says there is still the low risk of a shower over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony.

Check the BBC's Weather site for more details.

Duran Duran keyboard player Nick Rhodes says: "It's dynamite, there is electricity everywhere.

"We are very excited, there are three other great bands on with us and we have been looking forward to it for a while."

Scottish singer Paolo Nutini has just started his set at Hyde Park where a concert is taking place to celebrate the opening of London 2012.

Some 50,000 are gathering to watch Duran Duran, Nutini, Snow Patrol and the Stereophonics.

Games organisers are keen to stress London 2012 is not just about sport and this is the perfect way to do it.

Lots of colourful people here outside the Olympic Stadium. Everyone smiling, excited, up.

David Atkins adds: "One of the advantages of tonight is that you have someone who is addressing the ceremony through the lens of a camera - Danny is a film-maker.

"It is always going to be great for those in the stadium but that is the smaller audience - the focus should be on the one billion people who are going to be watching around the world."

David Atkins, artistic director of ceremonies at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the Winter Games in Vancouver two years ago, tells the BBC: "If what Danny is talking about is what he is trying to deliver, it is the humanity of the show is what's important.

"One of the things that is important about ceremonies wherever they are is that they accurately reflect the country."

John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee, tells the BBC:

"It's a really exciting night. The atmosphere is tremendous and it would have been hard to believe seven years ago that tonight we'd be here about to enjoy the opening ceremony.

"I think it's going to be a great couple of weeks."

Eleven-year-old Alice Fraser from Fleetville Junior School in St Albans has been in touch from the Olympic Park.

Alice is taking part in the guard of honour for tonight's ceremony, and says: "Currently eating in the handball arena. The seats are multi-coloured and everything is pink and purple. The mascots are here and waving and hugging people.

"We are guard of honour for Liechtenstein - which has only three athletes at the games. I've checked and they've never won an Olympic medal - but they did once get a Paralympic one."

David Beckham says his omission from the Great Britain Olympic football team has not dimmed his enthusiam for the Games.

He tells BBC Sport's Dan Walker: "I am very disappointed but I've always been a fan of the Olympics.

"I always said before it was announced that I wasn't in the team that I would be here as a fan to watch the other athletes perform and that is what I'll do."

Athletes from 204 countries will walk through the Olympic Stadium tonight as well as a group of Independent Olympic Participants - individuals whose states are not recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Most nations will walk out in alphabetical order - although Greece will start the parade and Team GB will end it.

The content of tonight's opening ceremony has been kept a closely guarded secret - people who attended two dress rehearsals this week were asked not to reveal any details of what they had seen. #savethesurprise!

One big question tonight is who will light the Olympic cauldron at the end of the ceremony... What do you think?

The flame travelled over from Greece and has spent the past 70 days travelling all around the UK in a superbly successful torch relay that was witnessed by an estimated 15 million people.

The Olympic Park and all its stadia have sprung up in east London and we are now just a couple of hours away from Danny Boyle's spectacular opening ceremony - entitled Isles of Wonder - which is due to start at 21:00 BST.

It was a little more than seven years ago that International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge announced the 30th Summer Games were being "awarded to London".

Since then, a huge amount of work has gone on to bring us to this momentous day.

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.