8.8.8 at 8pm in Beijing

From Nbcolympics.com

The most expensive opening ever was four years ago in Athens, when the Greeks spent a reported $30 million on their torch-lighting rite. The Chinese have surpassed them by a factor of 10. With an estimated $300 million budget, a seemingly never-ending cast of 15,000, and a fireworks display that’s rumored to be the biggest in history, the Bird’s Nest will redefine Olympic spectacle.