After all the training, trials and trying on of uniforms, the Olympic Games is finally upon us.

Over the next fortnight, a whole lot of sport and pageantry will be coming out of Paris — so there will be a lot to keep up with.

Here’s how to stay across what’s happening at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

When do the Olympic Games start?

The Olympics officially run from July 26 to August 11 in France — which, because of the time difference, is July 27 to August 12 for Australia.

But a few programs kicked off before the opening ceremony.

When is the opening ceremony?

Early Saturday morning. 

It’s scheduled to start at 8:24pm in Paris on Friday, July 26, which, for Australia, actually falls on the following day — Saturday, July 27.

Here’s the specific time it will start for each region:

• 2:24am AWST: Western Australia
• 3:54am ACST: Northern Territory and South Australia
• 4:24am AEST: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria

How is the ABC News website covering the Olympics?

We’ll be live blogging every single day of the Olympics, so look out for the story on the ABC News home page with the yellow “LIVE” tag on it. 

This is on top of all the stand-alone stories we’ll be doing, which you can see by heading to ABC Sport’s dedicated Paris 2024 Olympics home page.

Every day, we’ll be posting a daily schedule of events, highlighting the Australian athletes and the times they’re competing.

And we’ll also be publishing medal tally updates, so you can keep track of how Australia’s going overall. 

How do I get ABC News alerts about the Olympics?

You’ll need to have the ABC News App.  

Step 1:

Make sure you have the most recent version of the app installed on your phone — that’s version 8.6.6 on iPhone or 8.346 on Android. You can update via your app store:

Step 2:

To make sure you’re opted in to receiving alerts from this app. Tap the “Settings” icon at the top right corner — an icon that looks like a person. 

Step 3:

Scroll down and tap on Notifications.

Step 4:

Tap the button next to “Breaking News” and “Sport” to turn on alerts. 

Depending on what you have, you may have to go into your device’s settings to allow the app to receive notifications. 

What channel is the Olympic Games on?

The Nine Network has the rights to broadcast the Olympics this year, but in previous years it was on Channel 7. 

Last February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Nine — which has radio stations, streaming services and newspapers, as well as its television channel — had secured exclusive rights for the next decade. 

The media release didn’t say how much the network paid, but outlets like the Australian Financial Review reported that Nine shelled out more than $300 million for the deal. 

That buys the network exclusive rights to broadcast Olympics content here in Australia — and when the IOC says “exclusive”, it means it. 

There are very tight restrictions on what other publishers can show from the Olympics.

That’s why you’ll see a lot of other stations — the ABC included — relying on photos from approved photography agencies and footage from outside Olympic venues. 

The restrictions mean we’re not even allowed to embed social media videos Aussies post from inside the athlete’s village.

Where can I watch/listen to the Olympics in Australia?

The Olympics will be broadcast free-to-air on Channel Nine and 9Gem.

The station’s streaming service 9Now will also offer more than 40 live sports channels.

ABC Sport will also be live blogging Olympic events as they unfold.

And in Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Darwin, the Gold Coast and regional markets across the country, listeners can hear live daily Olympics coverage across ABC Radio and DAB+ — find out more details about that here.

The ABC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is brought to you in conjunction with the Nine Network. 

What’s the time difference between France and Australia?

Australia is ahead of Paris time-zone-wise, so when it’s morning in France, it’s afternoon Down Under. 

Here’s the breakdown of time zones:

• AEST: Eight hours ahead of Paris
• ACST: Seven hours and 30 minutes ahead of Paris
• AWST: Six hours ahead of Paris