When is the Olympics opening ceremony 2021? Date and UK time of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and how to watch on TV

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are set to kick off today (23 July) with the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium.

Arriving a year later than planned, the Summer Olympics officially got underway on Wednesday (21 July), with the first day of action arriving two days before the lighting of the flame on Friday evening.

Here’s all you need to know about the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony and how to watch it on UK TV.

When is the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony?

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday 23 July.

The ceremony will start at 8pm Japanese time, meaning it will kick off at 12pm in the UK.

The event will be held in the main Olympic Stadium, which will host athletics and football during the Games.

How to watch the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony?

The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on both BBC One and Eurosport on TV.

If you don’t have access to a TV, the ceremony can be streamed for free via the BBC iPlayer, and Eurosport subscribers can watch live vica the Eurosport Player app.

Viewers can add a Eurosport subscription to your Sky, BT or Virgin contract, or get access to the Eurosport Player direct for £6.99 per month or £39.99 a year.

Will there be spectators at the Opening Ceremony?

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be no fans inside the stadium for the opening ceremony.

International fans had already been banned from attending the Games, and because of the state of emergency declared in Tokyo, a total ban on spectators has been confirmed at most venues.

What will the Opening Ceremony look like?

Very little is known about what could be included in the ceremony.

Hiroshi Sasaki, a former advertising executive, is the ceremony’s creative director. The festivities are likely to be slightly different than originally planned last year, due to the lack of fans in the stadium.

The opening ceremony was plunged into chaos earlier this week following the dismissal of its show director.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto confirmed to media that Kentaro Kobayashi has been sacked on the eve of the event due to alleged anti-Semitic jokes he made during a comedy routine in 1998.

Will Team GB be at the Opening Ceremony?

Team GB have revealed that their athletes will stay away from the opening ceremony in Tokyo amid concerns about catching Covid-19.

The Times has reported that Team GB will field as few as 30 athletes from the 376-strong British team to the Olympic Stadium, compared with the usual 200 athletes.

Team GB are expected to announce their two flag bearers for the ceremony on Thursday (22 July), with diver Tom Daley thought to be among the contenders.

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