The question of what time does the Olympic opening ceremony start has more than one answer. Technically, the kick off event for the XXX Olympiad is set to get underway Friday, July 27th at 9:30 PM London time, or 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

However, NBC won’t be airing the event until 7:30PM, Eastern and Pacific time.  So American audiences will end up watching the opening ceremony on a tape delay.

The Olympic opening ceremony will be officiated by Queen Elizabeth II. It will feature the standard parade of nations, a cricket game, dancing nurses, farm animals (yes, really) and a closing song by Sir Paul McCartney.

Famous characters from British culture, including James Bond and Harry Potter, are expected to be incorporated into the festivities.

The $42 million spectacular will be directed by Danny Boyle of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Trainspotting’ fame.

The opening ceremony, which will air at 7:30 PM in the United States, is expected to last between four and five hours.

Bob Costas, Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira will host NBC’s broadcast of the event. Will you be watching?

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