After a year’s delay, the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Summer Olympics is finally happening. Here’s a guide:

When does the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony start?

It starts at 8 p.m. Friday local time at the National Stadium in Tokyo. That’s noon in London, 7 a.m. in New York and 4 a.m. in San Francisco. It is scheduled to last for 3½ hours.

Can I watch the opening ceremony live?

Yes, in the U.S. and many other parts of the world.

How do I watch the opening ceremony?

In the U.S., NBC is televising the opening ceremony live, with coverage beginning at 6:55 a.m. Eastern time, 3:55 a.m. Pacific time. The network will show the ceremony again in a prime-time broadcast beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. U.S. viewers can also live stream the ceremony on the NBC Sports app and at NBCOlympics.com.

What happens at the opening ceremony?

The traditional highlight is the parade of nations in which athletes from each country enter the stadium, often wearing colorful or characteristic dress. One memorable example in 2016 was the Tongan flag bearer, who marched shirtless in a skirt with his torso greased.

This year, around 5,000 to 6,000 athletes from more than 200 nations are expected to join the parade, including about 260 American athletes, said a U.S. sports official. The overall figure is about half as many as usual, while the U.S. figure is less than half the 613 American athletes at the Games.

Greek athletes march first, followed by the Refugee Olympic Team. The U.S., host of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, comes third from the end, followed by France, host of the 2024 Paris Games, and finally this year’s host, Japan.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the few high profile foreign visitors. Japan’s Emperor Naruhito is declaring the opening of the Games, though he is expected to avoid the word “celebrate” in deference to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 61-year-old monarch, who assumed the throne in 2019, has expressed concern about the spread of infection at the Games.

Another highlight will be the lighting of the Olympic torch after a subdued relay through the Japanese islands.

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Who will attend the ceremony?

Very few people. The National Stadium was designed to seat 68,000 people for the opening and closing ceremonies, but organizers decided not to allow any spectators, Japanese or foreign, as a Covid-19 prevention measure. In addition to the media, slightly fewer than 1,000 people—organizers, Olympics officials, dignitaries and others—are expected to attend.

Do any competitions take place at the ceremony?

No. But some events at the Olympics have already begun before the ceremony, including soccer and softball.

Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at the 1996 opening ceremony in Atlanta.

Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at the 1996 opening ceremony in Atlanta.

Photo: MICHAEL PROBST/Associated Press

Why do people watch the opening ceremony?

In addition to the parade of nations, past ceremonies have featured dramatic staging and surprises, such as boxer Muhammad Ali lighting the torch at the Atlanta Games a quarter-century ago. Several key players in this year’s ceremony had to resign over scandals, and the lack of spectators may put a damper on the excitement, but producers usually try to program something unexpected that will generate buzz.

Is everything at these Games happening at strange hours for Americans?

Not everything, but the time difference will take some getting used to. Events taking place in the evening in Tokyo will happen in the morning in the U.S. and midday or afternoon in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Some events are scheduled for the morning Tokyo time so viewers in the U.S. can watch them live in the evening. One example from this weekend: Men’s and women’s swimming medal events are taking place Sunday morning in Tokyo, which is prime time Saturday night in the U.S.