The greatest show on earth is back.

The 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games start tonight and will run until August 21. We were spoiled rotten on this side of the world with London 2012 as the whole thing was happening in our timezone, but we'll be operating on Brazil time now (they are four hours behind us). [caption id="attachment_305990" align="aligncenter" width="5128"]

(Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

  [/caption] Still, that won't stop many of us from staying up until the wee hours to catch the Opening Ceremony in the hope that it will deliver the spectacle and eccentric wonder of the 2012 London and 2008 Beijing games. Here's everything you need to know if you plan on watching it. What time does it start and where can I watch it? The ceremony itself is due to kick off at midnight, Irish time (8pm Brazil). Coverage begins on RTE2 at 11.30pm, and on BBC1 at 11.40pm. How long will it last? The opening ceremony is expected to last between 3-4 hours, so stock up on the caffeine. Where is it on? The ceremony takes place in Rio's Maracana stadium, which was modernised for the 2014 World Cup and can hold 74,738 spectators. [caption id="attachment_305987" align="aligncenter" width="3000"]

The Christ the Redeemer statue is seen at sunset in front of the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

  [/caption] What can I expect from it? The Rio Opening Ceremony is being spearheaded by the Brazilian film director Fernando Meirelles, who was Oscar nominated for his astonishing 2002 movie City Of God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioUE_5wpg_E The three themes of the event are ecology, diversity and joy, and organisers say it will be “cool” but not as huge as London or Beijing’s. The budget was just €3.5 million, around one-tenth the cost of the London 2012 bash. Some 4,800 performers and volunteers will take part. "Smile is the approach the Brazilians have toward life," said Marco Balich, the show's executive producer. "Brazil is not a grand nation. They're saying in this ceremony, we are who we are, with a lot of social problems, a lot of crises in the political system." According to the Washington Post, "the show is expected to highlight Brazil’s natural wonders, such as the Amazon; its musical heritage, from samba to funk; its history; and its technological feats. It also touches on urban life in the country's poorer neighborhoods, or favelas." As with previous ceremonies, around 3,000 people got to see the dress rehearsal of the event earlier this week - and their reports were glowing. https://twitter.com/heyyallitsmari/status/760286122446561280 https://twitter.com/KerryFerguson23/status/759966523867955200 https://twitter.com/fahadjuma/status/759878769943293952 https://twitter.com/trryan/status/759853528315682816 What about The Parade of Nations? That begins after the main opening ceremony show, starting with Greece then, in (Portuguese) alphabetical order, all the other countries. The Refugee Olympic Team are the penultimate participants with Brazil bringing up the rear. Boxer Paddy Barnes will lead the Irish team into the Maracana. [caption id="attachment_305991" align="aligncenter" width="4824"]

Gold medalist Paddy Barnes poses during the medal ceremony for the Men's Light Fly (49kg) Final at SSE Hydro during day ten of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on August 2, 2014 in Glasgow (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

  [/caption] Will Pele light the Olympic Cauldron? No, Brazil's most famous sportsperson will not be attending, because of "business deals", apparently. It's not known who will light the cauldron tonight. Can I follow the Olympics on social media? Here's the official Facebook page for the Rio Olympics. This is the English language Twitter feed. Cover image: The Opening Ceremony for the XV Pan American Games at the Maracana Stadium on July 13, 2007 (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)