Winter Olympics 2018 opening ceremony as it happened: news from Pyeongchang as the 23rd Games begin

All the highlights from the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium

Fireworks light up Winter Olympics 2018 opening ceremony

The 2018 Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang on Friday and the opening ceremony took centre stage to kick-off the 23rd Games.

The Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium welcomed all 92 countries boasting nearly 3,000 athletes, with all eyes on the sight of North and South Korean competitors uniting to walk into the stadium together for the first time.

There was also plenty of attention on the Russian athletes that will feature under the ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ banner, with 169 Russians cleared to compete despite the Russian doping scandal resulting in the nation being banned by the International Olympic Committee. Korea will be the last nation to march into the stadium.

Leading out Great Britain was 2014 Winter Olympics gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold, with the skeleton athlete looking to retain her championship in Pyeongchang, and the British team were the 54th to arrive at the stadium – which cost nearly £80m to build and will only be used four times before it is torn down.

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Key Points

• Nearly 3,000 athletes from 92 nations
• North and South Korea to march together while 169 athletes will be represented as 'Olympic Athletes from Russia'
• 2014 gold medallist Lizzy Yarnold named flag bearer for Great Britain

[9 February 2018 12:47 · Liam Corless]

Back to the ceremony and we've now got a questionable four-piece band butchering John Lennon's Imagine. 

It's a nice sentiment though, so we'll let them off.

[9 February 2018 12:54 · Liam Corless]

The lighting of the Olympic flame is almost upon us and that will signify the start of these Games!

But, before that, we'll hear a rendition of the Olympic anthem.

[9 February 2018 13:01 · Liam Corless]

Tonga flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua arrived in some style 

[9 February 2018 13:08 · Liam Corless]

One thing we perhaps didn't expect to see tonight was United States vice-president Mike Pence in the stands at the Pyeongchang Stadium. 

Interestingly, he's sat close to the North Korean delegation.

[9 February 2018 13:09 · Liam Corless]

And, finally, the moment we've all been waiting for... the Olympic flame has been lit by South Korean figure-skating legend Yuna Kim!

The 27-year-old won gold in Vancouver in 2010 before following that up with a silver medal in Sochi four years later.

[9 February 2018 13:16 · Liam Corless]

Now, to round things off we've got another impressive dancing display involving what can only be described as giant-sized sparklers.

You know, the ones that you waved around as a kid on Bonfire Night when you were younger.

Oh, and obviously we've got even more fireworks popping off outside the stadium.

Quite the finale. 

[9 February 2018 13:21 · Liam Corless]

The ceremony itself went off without a hitch but the same can't be said for what happened outside the stadium.

Around 50 demonstrators gathered outside the Pyeongchang Stadium, playing patriotic songs and waving South Korean and US flags. 

Some of the protesters showed their dissatisfaction by tearing up pictures of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea. 

[9 February 2018 13:24 · Liam Corless]

The 2018 Winter Olympics is open for business! 

[9 February 2018 13:33 · Liam Corless]

Thanks for tuning into our coverage of the Winter Olympics opening ceremony! We hope you're looking forward to the next couple of weeks as much as we are!