The torch relay passed by some of
London's most famous landmarks as it made its way down the Thames on the
last leg of its 70-day journey
Thousands of people are arriving at the Olympic Park ahead of the £27m opening ceremony of the London Games.
Details of the ceremony remain a closely-guarded secret. Its artistic director, Danny Boyle, has dedicated it to the 15,000 volunteers taking part.
The Olympic flame is at City Hall ahead of its ceremony appearance, on the last leg of its 70-day nationwide journey.
The day of celebration began at 08:12 BST (07:12 GMT) with a mass bell ringing. Big Ben rang for three minutes for the first time since King George VI's funeral.
The Olympic flame arrived at City Hall on the
Queen's rowbarge Gloriana after first weaving through the maze at
Hampton Court Palace then being transported down the Thames.
In other developments:
- A fire has broken out at a pavilion in Weymouth close to where the Olympic sailing will take place. The building, due to host a VIP and media event, has been evacuated
- Lord's cricket ground turned away spectators trying to get in to watch archery amid confusion over ticketing. The London 2012 website advertised the event's preliminary rounds as "unticketed", which some people interpreted as open to the public
- Ticketing delays at St James' Park in Newcastle, which meant some fans missed a men's football match on Thursday, were unacceptable, a senior 2012 official has said
- Three people due to work as staff at an Olympic venue in Newcastle were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of immigration offences following accreditation checks
- Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt narrowly avoided hitting a group of women with a handbell after it flew off the handle on HMS Belfast during the co-ordinated ringing - he called the moment a "classic"
- American First Lady Michelle Obama, who is in London to lead the US delegation, told the US Olympic team at their Docklands training camp "have fun, breathe a bit, but also win"
- International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge praised the regeneration which has taken place in east London and said the Games would have a "tangible legacy" with, uniquely, "no white elephants"
- London taxis staged a protest at Hyde Park Corner over Olympic traffic lanes
The weather for the ceremony is expected to
remain dry, but BBC forecasters say the jet stream is moving southwards
and there will be a return to more unsettled and chillier conditions
over the next few days.
BBC forecaster Krista Mitchell said Saturday would remain
mainly dry in the south, but showers were likely to affect the Games on
Sunday.There have not been any reports of major transport issues.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It's a great opportunity to show the world the best of Britain, a country that's got an incredibly rich past but also a very exciting future.
"Someone asked me yesterday what face of Britain do we want to put forward - is it Blur or the Beefeaters? - and frankly it's both."
'Wave of excitement'
Mayor of London Boris Johnson told BBC Radio 5 live: "What's so amazing is just the wave of excitement seems to pass from person to person like some benign form of contagion. Everybody is getting it."
Europe's largest bell will ring inside the
Olympic Stadium at 21:00 at the start of the opening ceremony, said to
be a quirky take on British life.
The crowd of about 80,000 will include the Queen and a host of dignitaries and celebrities.
The Queen and Prince Philip are hosting a Buckingham Palace reception for foreign dignitaries and an opening ceremony celebration concert featuring Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Duran Duran and Paolo Nutini will be held in Hyde Park.
More than 10,000 athletes from 204 nations will take part in the London Olympics, which has taken £9bn of public money to stage.
Coverage of the opening ceremony starts on BBC One at 19:00 BST and Radio Five Live from 18:00 BST. UK users can also watch it via the BBC News website.
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