We now move into the next section - Fantasia.

A woman holding a gigantic baton is leading dancers, while three of Italy's great operatic composers standing alongside her, depicted by performers wearing gigantic papier-mache style heads.

If you think the bobbleheads you used to get in cereal boxes around the turn of the century, you won't be far off.

Our first section is called Italian Beauty.

70 dancers from the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala played statues who have now come to life and are performing on a circular stage.

To be in this performance you have to be in your sixth to eighth year of training at the Accademia, which is a fair old stint.

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Livigno

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when we arrived at the snow park for tonight’s satellite opening ceremony in Livigno, but there are hundreds of fans here waiting to watch the show unfold.

Thankfully, it’s a lot warmer than previous nights. Six degrees Celsius. Tropical.

Image source, BBC Sport

This opening video feels a bit pre-Eurovision song video postcard.

Perhaps we'll get someone popping up with a synthy Euro-pop banger.

Oh no, it's a chap dressed as Cupid.

Image source, Getty Images

Time to head to the San Siro.

The stadium is currently bathed in an orange light, and the opening video has begun along with a countdown to the start of the ceremony.

Away we go!

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

There are a lot of empty seats around San Siro. I would guess the stadium is around 70% full.

Ticket sales have reportedly been slow, unusually for an Olympic opening ceremony.

We're under 10 minutes from the opening ceremony - here's a few numbers for you to help understand the scale of today's event.

• The opening ceremony will feature 1,200 performers - the oldest is 70 and the youngest is 10.
• The performers have rehearsed for over 700 hours.
• 500 musicians have been involved with the recording of music for the ceremony, while 70 hair dressers and 110 make-up artists will also be in action.
• There'll be 1,400 costumes used, featuring 7,500m of fabric.

Lizzy Yarnold
Two-time Olympic skeleton champion on BBC Two

Within the World Cup, Matt Weston has taken all but two of the gold medals.

The medals he didn't win, Marcus Wyatt has won.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland in Cortina

Image source, BBC Sport

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

Last night, the Olympic torch was carried through the centre of Milan ahead of lighting the cauldron at San Siro later.

This is not the first time that the torch has progressed through Milan - that was in 1948, as it was carried through Italy on its way up to London, host of the Summer Olympics that year.

Thanks to Olympic history don Phillip Barker for that nugget.

Chemmy Alcott
Four-time Olympic alpine ski racer on BBC Two

Always the underdogs, but that's part of our strength. Team GB come into this Olympics full of ambition.

"You have to be superhuman" and "these sports are for people who take risks."

Those are the words of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

I think it's fair to say that the Winter Olympics has the stamp of approval from Ibrahimovic.

Jess Anderson
BBC Sport in Cortina

It's already been a busy week in Cortina with Lindsey Vonn's announcement that she has ruptured her ACL but is still hopeful she can compete. That came before the news that the British skeleton helmets are not legal while the curlers have already got their campaign under way.

I headed up to Olimpia delle Tofane this morning to get a glimpse of Vonn's training run, which went off without a hitch. But WOW. What a place.

My shocking photography skills do not do this place justice.

Image source, BBC Sport

I've even managed to squeeze in a trip to the athlete's village, which looks essentially like a traditional alpine village with wooden huts for bedrooms and spectacular views of the Dolomites.

There's been so much snow in Cortina this week that there are icicles hanging off the wooden structures the athletes will call home for the next few weeks.

Hosting 66 nations with 1,400 beds, a dining hall where favourites are of course pasta and pizza and even an Apres Ski bar - serving only non-alcoholic drinks of course - the village is a key part of the athlete experience.

Image source, BBC Sport

Katie Falkingham
BBC Sport in Livigno

Up here in Livigno, we've had A LOT of snow this week. None of the fake stuff this time around.

Every day this week, these poor souls have been shovelling snow off this area of the venue, only for another big dump to fall overnight.

A thankless task..

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC Two

BBC Two's coverage of the opening ceremony is under way.

Clare Balding is alongside two-time Olympic skeleton champion Lizzy Yarnold, and four-time Olympic alpine ski racer Chemmy Alcott.

You can either tune into BBC Two, click 'Watch live' at the top of this live text or head over to BBC iPlayer to watch the coverage.

Emma Smith
BBC Sport at San Siro

If you need to catch up on everything Winter Olympics - from Haitian cross country skiers to penis injections - then check out the What In The World podcast from BBC World Service.

It is only 12 minutes long, and stars me, so it is your perfect bitesize guide.

Your guide to the Winter Olympics 2026

Image source, BBC Sport

The growth of the Winter Olympics from 1956 to 2026 – five times as many events and almost four times as many athletes – means it would be impossible today for a ski resort like Cortina to stage the Olympics single-handedly.

The 2026 Games will be the most geographically widespread, with events in multiple regions and cities, including Milan, which is Italy's second biggest city.

The IOC also prizes sustainability, and spreading events around – something president Kirsty Coventry says will be "the new normal", external, external – meaning less new infrastructure is required.

See five more charts which tell you what you need to know about Milan-Cortina 2026 by clicking here