The opening ceremony starts at 8 pm today at the Bird's Nest - the National Stadium in the Olympic Central District in northern Beijing. At least 100,000 people including athletes, world leaders, Games officials and spectators are expected to attend. The stadium and the whole Olympic core area will formally open to the public from 4 pm. Guests, athletes and artists will take chartered buses.

The audience will use buses and the metro. Staff and volunteers will begin working at the Bird's Nest on Friday morning. On Friday evening, all metro lines will operate round the clock, except the line linking the airport.