The Rio 2016 Olympic Games will go off with a bang at the opening ceremony on 5 August 2016 at the Maracanã Stadium. The following day, sport will take the centre stage, with 21 disciplines in action. With the competition schedule published and tickets now on sale, it is time to start planning. To help you put together your schedule, in the first part of our special series, here are the highlights between 5 and 9 August 2016:

5 AUGUST

The opening ceremony allows the hosts to welcome the world and showcase their culture (Photo: Getty Images/Jamie Squire)

Launching the planet’s largest sporting event, a grand ceremony will light up the host city with the Olympic flame, present the 10,500 athletes who will be competing and celebrate Brazilian culture. The Maracanã Stadium will host the party of the year.

6 AUGUST

The women's volleyball tournament will start at the Maracanãzinho arena (Photo: Getty Images/Ezra Shaw)

In total, 21 sports will begin on the day after the opening ceremony, with medals events taking place in all four Games zones. The men’s cycling road race will be contested with Rio’s landscape providing an awe-inspiring backdrop, while medals will be up for grabs in fencing, judo, shooting, weightlifting, archery and swimming.

Some highlights:

- Men’s cycling road race, starting and finishing at Fort Copacabana

- Women’s football at the Mineirão Stadium in Belo Horizonte

- Women’s weightlifting -48kg finals at Riocentro Pavilion 2

- Swimming finals for the men’s 400m freestyle, men’s and women’s 400m medley, and women’s 4x100m relay

- Women’s rugby sevens group matches at Deodoro Stadium – marking the sport’s return to the Games after 92 years

- Shooting finals at the Olympic Shooting Centre – the first medal of Rio 2016 will be won here

- First three women’s volleyball games at the Maracanãzinho Arena

- Start of the beach volleyball tournament at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Copacabana beach

7 AUGUST

The first diving medals will be be awarded in the women's synchronised 3m springboard (Photo: Getty Images/Clive Rose)

Rio 2016’s second full day of competition features the start of the men’s volleyball competition and the diving competition, with the synchronised 3m springboard medals being decided. There will also be medals in road cycling, fencing, judo, weightlifting, archery and swimming.

Some highlights:

- Day two of the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, at Carioca Arena 1 in the Barra Olympic Park, and the Youth Arena in the Deodoro Olympic Park, respectively

- Slalom canoe and kayak heats at the Whitewater Stadium in Deodoro

- First phase of men’s football in the co-host cities of Manaus, Salvador and Brasília, plus at the Olympic Stadium in Rio

- Start of the men’s handball tournament at the Future Arena

- Judo finals for men (under 66kg) and women (under 52kg) at Carioca Arena 2

- The women’s synchronised 3m springboard event at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre

- First phase of men’s volleyball at the Maracanãzinho 

8 AUGUST

With Sugarloaf Mountain in the background, the sailing will begin on Guanabara Bay (Photo: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro)

The sailing regattas will begin in one of Rio’s most iconic locations, Guanabara Bay. Monday will also provide more emotions for fans of fencing, artistic gymnastics, judo, weightlifting, swimming, rugby, diving and shooting – all with medal events taking place.

Some highlights:

- Men’s team artistic gymnastics finals at Rio Olympic Arena

- First phase of men’s water polo at the Julio de Lamare Aquatics Centre, next to the Maracanã

- Rowing semi-finals (men’s and women’s) at the iconic Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

- Women’s rugby sevens final at Deodoro Stadium

- Second round of the men’s and women’s tennis tournament (singles and doubles) at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Barra Olympic Park

- First sailing regattas at Marina da Glória

9 AUGUST

The fourth day of artistic gymnastics will take place at Rio Olympic Arena (Photo: Getty Images/Jamie Squire)

While the world’s top female gymnasts thrill the crowds at the Rio Olympic Arena in the Barra Olympic Park, the first medals will be awarded in one of the Games’ most radical sports, slalom canoeing, in the Deodoro Olympic Park. Medals will also be awarded in fencing, equestrian eventing, judo, weightlifting, swimming, diving and shooting.

Some highlights:

- Semi-finals and final of men’s individual slalom canoeing at the Whitewater Stadium

- Women’s team artistic gymnastics finals at the Rio Olympic Arena

- Individual and team finals in equestrian eventing at the Olympic Equestrian Centre

- Hockey group stages (men’s and women’s) at the Olympic Hockey Centre

- Table tennis quarter-finals at Riocentro Pavilion 3

- Individual archery heats at the Sambódromo