The 2018 Olympics take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the first Winter Games in the country’s history. From Feb. 9-24, nations from all over the world will compete in predominantly cold-weather sports such as hockey, curling, figure skating, and much, much more.

While some events begin in advance, the Feb. 9 opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium signals the official beginning of the Games.

Known as a can't-miss cultural spectacle, the opening ceremony is a made-for-television event which includes a parade with all 93 participating countries, an artistic program featuring an assortment of visual and musical performances unique to South Korea and, of course, the lighting of the Olympic torch.

In the United States, a 14-hour time difference between South Korea and the East Coast means watching the Games live will be challenge at times, but Olympic enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to. NBC, the official U.S. broadcast partner, hasn’t aired an opening ceremony live since the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and will continue that trend in 2018, but there are other ways to tune in.
Here is everything you need to know to watch the opening ceremony.

How to watch the opening ceremony live

There are two opportunities for viewers in the U.S. to catch the opening ceremony, hosted by NBC's Katie Couric and Mike Tirico. Early risers can watch a live stream of the performance from Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium online starting at 6 a.m. ET at NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. Live streaming is also available on fuboTV .

American viewers will get another opportunity to witness a curated version on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.

Where is the opening ceremony held?

Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, a 35,000-seat open-air pentagonal stadium, is the primary venue for the 2018 Games and the site of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Storylines to watch at the opening ceremony

North and South Korea announced a combined Olympic team for the first time ever, a symbolic gesture in attempt to thaw decades of tension between the nations. The two Koreas plan to march together under a unified flag at the opening ceremony and also agreed to form a joint women’s ice hockey team. While the IOC must first approve extra Olympic slots for the North’s athletes, as they failed to qualify or missed deadlines to register, this appears to be an important step toward peace.

Ralph Lauren is back in charge of creating the outfits for the U.S. Olympians to wear during their march. The company has released what the closing ceremony outfits will look like, but has not revealed anything about what will be worn on Feb. 9.
In Sochi, Ralph Lauren made headlines with the choice to go with the patriotic cardigans for those opening ceremonies.

Opening ceremony program of events

The Telegraph has reported the ceremony will broadly follow the same structure as the show put on by the Russians in Sochi four years ago.


  1. Entry by the head of state
  2. Playing of the national anthem
  3. The parade of participants
  4. The symbolic release of pigeons
  5. The head of state declares the Games open
  6. Raising the Olympic flag and playing the Olympic anthem
  7. The taking of the Olympic oath by an athlete
  8. The taking of the Olympic oath by an official
  9. The taking of the Olympic oath by a coach
  10. The Olympic flame and the torch relay
  11. The artistic program

The symbolic release of pigeons has some history at the Olympics in South Korea. During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, a number of birds were accidentally incinerated when the Olympic torch was lit during the opening ceremony, so no actual doves will be released in 2018