The 2021 Tokyo Olympics are nearly here. After a year-long postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the best athletes in the world are gathering in Japan to participate in 28 different sports in the hopes of earning a gold medal.
After such a long wait, athletes and fans alike are excited about the event, though there won't be any spectators there to cheer on the competitors.
There will be some football and softball action going on before the Olympics properly begin, but the opening ceremony will mark the official start of the 2021 Summer Games.
The opening ceremony certainly is always fun, but it could be particularly poignant as the world reunites for the Olympics in wake of a devastating pandemic that is still at the forefront of everyone's mind.
With much of Australia again in lockdown, the games will hopefully provide a welcome distraction for many.
Here's everything you need to know about the Olympic opening ceremony and how to watch it as these long-awaited Olympics draw nearer and nearer.
MORE: Who is in the Australian Olympic Team for the Tokyo Games?
When do the Olympics start?
Start date: Friday, July 23
Opening ceremony time: 9pm AEST
The 2021 Olympic Games will begin on Friday, July 23 with the Olympic opening ceremony. That will occur at 9pm AEST on Friday while it will occur at 8pm local time in Tokyo.
Note that some soccer and softball games are on July 21-22. Archery and rowing preliminaries begin earlier on July 23.
How to watch the opening ceremony in Australia
TV channel: Seven
Live stream: 7plus
Seven will carry live coverage of the opening ceremony and all other Olympic events through their network. The main network, Seven , will host the opening and closing ceremonies.
The network's free streaming platform, 7plus, will be carrying coverage of the ceremonies as well as many events throughout the two weeks.
How long is the Olympics opening ceremony?
The Olympics opening ceremony is set to be about four hours long. The event will begin at 9m AEST and will run until around 1am AEST. In Tokyo, the event will run from 8pm to midnight local time.
Sporting News' Jacob Camenker contributed to this article.
