The spectacular Red Arrows will be flying across the country this evening to mark the start of the Commonwealth Games.
Birmingham is gearing up to host the multi-sport event which runs until August 8, the first time it's been held on British soil since 2014.
As part of tonight's opening ceremony, the RAF Red Arrows will take to the skies over Birmingham and various other towns and cities.
Tonight's ceremony begins at 7pm at the Alexander Stadium, the venue for the athletics, with this year's event set to be the best-attended games ever.
Over 1.25 million tickets have been sold for the games, with the action getting underway from 8.30am Friday morning with lawn bowls and para lawn bowls kicking off proceedings.
Before the athletes get underway, however, the famous red jets will be carrying out their flypast over Birmingham as they make their way over from Lincolnshire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire.
They will fly over Perry Park, which houses Alexander Stadium, and go over Aston, Stechford and Solihull, including Chelmsley Wood, before travelling over Coleshill and out towards Warwickshire as part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations.
However, many others will be able to catch a glimpse of the famous aircraft as it travels from Lincolnshire.
Those hoping to see the flypast have been told by the Ministry of Defence that the times are subject to change depending on the weather.
Aircraft serviceability or any form of redirection by Air Traffic Controllers could alter timings, and just last week the Red Arrows were forced to cancel a display at the Farnborough Air Show, however later the same day they were given the all-clear.
Official Red Arrow route for tonight's Commonwealth Games ceremony from Lincolnshire to Birmingham:
- Scampton - 7.35pm
- South East of Fiskerton - 7.38pm
- North East of Wragby - 7.39pm
- North of Claxby - 7.40pm
- North East of Willingham by Stow - 7.43pm
- North of Brixholme - 7.44pm
- Flypast Canwick Lincoln - 7.45pm
- North West of Metheringham - 7.46pm
- North West of Moulton Seas End - 7.49pm
- West of Oakham - 7.54pm
- South of Sutton On Trent - 7.59pm
- Vicinity of Blackwell - 8.03pm
- Vicinity of Heanor - 8.04pm
- East of Wootton - 8.06pm
- Vicinity of Bromley Wood - 8.08pm
- West of Lichfield - 8.10pm
- South West of Shenstone - 8.11pm
- Flypast Perry Park - 8.12pm
- Vicinity of Birmingham - 8.13pm
- Birmingham AD - 8.18pm
- South East of Besthorpe - 8.25pm
- Scampton - 8.26pm
Great Britain will hope to claim as many medals as possible from this year's event having lost fan-favourite Dina Asher-Smith to a hamstring injury she picked up in the World Athletics Championships earlier this week.
Tonight's opening ceremony is expected to have a 30,000-strong crowd inside the stadium with a further billion people watching on TV.
The games are returning to Britain for the first time Glasgow played host in 2014, with the international multi-sport event dating back to 1930.
It sees athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations compete against each other in a number of sports including cricket, swimming, gymnastics and beach volleyball, and is a highly-anticipated event on the sporting calendar.
The games hold a close place in the Queen's heart, and she's opened the events many times in locations all over the world.
However, she won't be attending this year's competition after having missed a number of public appearances in 2022 so far, the year of her Platinum Jubilee.
Instead, the Palace has confirmed that Prince Charles will be stepping in for the Queen for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games tonight.
Charles will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony and he will also read The Queen’s message for the Commonwealth Games, which was placed into the Commonwealth Games Baton by the Her Majesty on October 7, and has since been on a 294-day journey to all 72 Commonwealth nations.
Charles will be accompanied by his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles and the The Earl and Countess of Wessex will also be attending the opening ceremony.
Many other royals are also expected to attend events throughout the Commonwealth Games.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are all set to make appearances.
Tickets for the events can still be purchased from the Commonwealth Games website, with some tickets remaining available for certain sports.
The dates of the games range from July 29 through to August 7 with the closing ceremony taking place on August 8, and tickets are still available for that at the time of writing.
Tickets start from £8 for under 16s and £15 for adults at the Commonwealth games, for all events still on offer.
Depending on events and seat choices some tickets could cost you considerably more.
