Figure skaters, hockey players and curlers have taken to the ice, freestyle skiers have taken to the slopes. Now, the Winter Olympics are about to kick into full gear.
Performances, pageantry, the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron are all on tap, and we're going to capture every moment of the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, LIVE on NBC and Peacock, Friday at 6:30 a.m. ET.
| Date / Time (ET) | Show | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 4 6:30 a.m. ET | Opening Ceremony LIVE | NBC | Peacock | NBCOlympics.com |
| Feb. 4 12 p.m. ET | Winter Olympics Daytime | NBC | Peacock | NBCOlympics.com |
| Feb. 4 8 p.m. ET | Opening Ceremony Primetime | NBC | Peacock | NBCOlympics.com |
Authenticated streaming is also available on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
2018 Olympic gold medalist John Shuster and 2018 Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Bowe will lead the United States into the National Stadium as flagbearers during the Opening Ceremony, with Bowe holding the honor on behalf of Elana Meyers Taylor, who will miss the Opening Ceremony after a positive Covid test.
Who will light the cauldron? What other moments will dazzle our imaginations and steal the show? We'll find out as we track every big moment of the Opening Ceremony as it unfolds in Beijing.
Opening Ceremony Live Updates
Follow along for live updates of the Ceremony while you watch on NBC or Peacock.
What to expect from the Opening Ceremony
6:30am ET: Director Zhang Yimou says video technology is going to be one of our protagonists this morning, aiming for "ethereal and romantic" scenes as obviously there will not be the mass of live human performers that made Beijing 2008 so memorable. The slogan of these games, "Together for a shared future" should inform visuals that reflect the world's challenges and triumphs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A little on Beijing before we begin
6:50am ET: Beijing becomes the first city to host both the Summer and the Winter Games. This is the third-straight Games held in Asia after South Korea in 2018 and Tokyo this past summer, which was delayed from 2020 due to the pandemic. Because of the delay, this is the shortest time between a Closing Ceremony of the previous games and the Open Ceremony of the next since 1992.
...And off we go!
7am ET: Off we go at the Bird's Nest, built in 2007 for the 2008 Games. There are 400 students on the floor of the stadium making long green LED sticks sway in a representation of Spring before the sticks change color to white. Winter's here on the floor and now the sky is bright with fireworks. Showtime, indeed, in China.
Passing the flag
7:10am ET: Fifty-six students pass the China flag from the center of the floor to soldiers, who march to raise it while Chinese president Xi Jinping and IOC president Thomas Bach, a gold medalist in 1976, look on ahead of the performance of China's national anthem.
Roll call! The Parade of Nations
7:15am ET: What began with a laser show detailing the 23 prior Winter Olympics and the unveiling of the rings now readies the Parade of Nations, as athletes will enter the fray led by Greece, as is tradition, followed in an unusual order: the number of strokes needed to compose the first letter of the nation's names in Chinese.
Two North American-born "Party of One" athletes enter
7:22am ET: Ecuador's Sarah Escobar, born in New Jersey, and Eritrea's Shannon-Ogbani Abeda -- Canadian-born -- enter as flag bearers for their nations. Read more about single-athlete nations, here.
O, Canada!
We miss you, Elana
Elana Meyers Taylor was elected Team USA flag bearer but is unable to attend the Opening Ceremony due to COVID-19 protocols. She's fired up, nonetheless (video).
Brittany Bowe takes Elana's place next to curler John Shuster.
And Here Comes Team USA!!
7:58am ET: Brittany Bowe and John Shuster lead 'em in!
🇺🇸 @TeamUSA are here! 👊
And they’re looking sharp in their outfits as usual!#StrongerTogether | #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/augRzwhUcb
— Olympics (@Olympics) February 4, 2022
8:10am ET: Here comes Chile, which has become a "summer" home for America's Winter Olympians.
8:22am ET: Australia's in the building, though one of its brightest stars, Olympic bronze medalist Scotty James, has just arrived in China and is watching from his room.
Watching the opening ceremony from the village this year. Hope all the team have the best time. Eyes peeled on the TV for the green and gold 🙌🏼
— Scotty James (@scottyjames31) February 4, 2022
After The Parade
9am ET: We've had a dazzling snowflake installation as well as speeches from Communist Party secretary Cai Qi and IOC president Bach imploring unity. The 2022 Winter Olympics are officially underway and the Olympic Cauldron will be lit... soon!
9:15am ET: Enter the Olympic Flame!
After stops at several historic sites in Greece, the flame was moved to a specialized Chinese lantern called a Changxin and then flown to China.
The relay was very short, three days, due to the pandemic.
Now the torchbearers: world champion speed skater Luo Zhihuan, 2010 Olympic gold medal winner Zhang Hui, five-time short track medalist Li Jiajun, figure skating medalist Shen Xue, aerials skiing gold medalist Han Xiaopeng, and 2014 gold medal-winning speed skater Zhang Hong.
9:20am ET: The snowflake is back with the flame at the heart of it, raised into the sky while fireworks explode above the stadium. The temporary towers soar as the flame will be kept aloft inside the snowflake.
9:22am ET: Thank you for spending some time with us this morning! Now back to the Games!