The 2024 Paris Olympics are about to officially open. (The games have actually been in full swing since Wednesday, but the opening ceremony is when most people start to take notice.)
This is where some of the most iconic and historic moments of the Olympics play out.
Who could forget Cathy Freeman igniting the Olympic cauldron at Sydney 2000? That moment is arguably burned into more memories than her gold-winning victory in the 400 metres final.
Paris is set to be a real showstopper, with athletes taking to the Seine for a first-of-its-kind river parade.
If you care even a little about the Olympic Games, this is an event you won't want to miss. Here are the dates, times and ways to watch in Australia.
The Paris Olympics opening ceremony starts at 4:24am AEST on Saturday, 27 July. (In Paris, the time will be 7.30pm.)
Here are the times for each Australian state and territory:
Nine Network has the rights to this year's Olympic Games. If you're planning to watch the opening ceremony live on free-to-air TV, this means you will need to tune into Channel 9.
Prefer to stream your sports? Nine will be showing the entire opening ceremony via its 9Now streaming app.
The app is compatible with most phones, laptops, tablets and smart TVs – simply create an account and log in to start watching. (It's free to sign up.)
Live coverage begins on Saturday at 3:00am AEST.
In addition to live coverage, the app provides access to stacks of exclusive Olympic content including replays, athlete profiles, interviews and highlights from the archives.
You can also stream the opening ceremony on Stan via a Stan Sports subscription which costs $15 extra per month.
Australia's free-to-air channels are still struggling to deliver 4K content to viewers. This includes the streaming channel 9Now, which is limited to Full HD 1080p.
If you want to watch the opening ceremony in 4K, your best bet is Stan Sports which will be streaming the entire Olympic Games is 4K Ultra HD.
Hot tip: You don't need to subscribe to Stan Premium to watch the Olympics in 4K. Stan Sport offers the maximum resolution no matter what base subscription plan you have.
In a break from tradition, the Paris 2024 opening ceremony will not be held inside a stadium. Instead, a flotilla will make its way through the heart of the French capital on the River Seine.
The river parade will begin at the Austerlitz Bridge, travel around the two central islands (Île Saint Louis and Île de la Cité), and then pass under several bridges and gateways. The parade's finale will then take place in the historic Trocadéro ballroom.
Australia's flag bearers for the opening ceremony are canoeing gold medallist Jess Fox and hockey veteran Eddie Ockenden.
Around 80 additional Australian athletes will also be taking part.
The opening ceremony will last for approximately 4.5 hours.
This is currently being kept under wraps. Names in contention include the athletics gold medallist Marie-José Pérec, soccer legend Zinedine Zidane and French actor Omar Sy.
The closing ceremony will take place on 12 August at 5am AEST.
Looking for more Olympics news? Check out our in-depth Paris Olympic Games guide and Finder's guide to streaming sports.
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