Rio 2016 Olympics - The Olympics' Opening Ceremony is underway at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
More than 70,000 fans were expected to pack into the venue, where about 10,000 athletes were to parade.
The sailors Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who won silver at the London Games in 2012, were to lead the country New Zealand contingent into the stadium wearing traditional Maori cloaks.
Organisers have kept tight-lipped about what will be showcased during the three-hour ceremony, but Samba, Carnival and the Brazilian spirit are expected to feature strongly.
Earlier the Brazilian football legend Pele pulled out of lighting the Olympic Cauldron at the ceremony due to health problems.
A former Brazilian marathon runner, Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima, lit the cauldron in his place.
