The 21st Commonwealth Games will get underway today after a spectacular opening ceremony on the Gold Coast.
More than 6,600 athletes from 71 nations and territories will be competing for 275 gold medals over the 11 days of competition.
A crowd of 35,000 packed into the Carrara Stadium.
A heavy downpour of rain greeted the start of proceedings but that failed to dampen spirits.
The crowd and athletes were then treated to a ceremony showcasing music and dance drawing on Australia's history and traditions.
The Games were officially declared open by the Prince of Wales, representing the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth.
However, there were protests outside the stadium by indigenous rights activists who earlier disrupted the Queen's baton relay as it made its way to the stadium.
The first gold medal of the Games will be awarded in women's triathlon tomorrow.
Also, medical staff will check in with the New Zealand women's rugby Sevens team every 12 hours for the next few days after a case of mumps was confirmed in the team.
A 130‑page programme for the Commonwealth Games has accidentally listed England as an African country.
The programme, which includes profiles on the 71 Commonwealth Games nations, labels England’s capital as “Banjul” with a population of two million.
Banjul is the capital city of The Gambia, a small West African country bordered by Senegal.
