The Rugby World Cup 2011 Opening Ceremony tonight will tell the story of New Zealand and its unique place in the Pacific and represent the coming together of countries from around the world.

Key people behind the opening ceremony include David Atkins - Artistic Director, Robyn Rawstone - Director of design, Shona McCullagh - Director of choreography, Moss Patterson - Associate choreographer, Jane Holland - Head of Costume, Marie Adams and Mike Mizrahi - Event producers.

The 20-minute ceremony will be unveiled to a 60,000-strong crowd at Eden Park and a television audience of millions worldwide at 7.30pm just before the opening match between NZ and Tonga at 8.30pm.

It will be beamed to big and small screens throughout New Zealand, including Auckland’s Waterfront where the free entertainment starts at 4pm with the arrival of a fleet of Maori war canoes (waka taua), followed by a live haka, and performances from top New Zealand musicians including Dave Dobbyn and The Finn Brothers.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a sound and lighting show at the Waterfront at 7.55pm – featuring Auckland's biggest and brightest fireworks and light show set to live music composed specially for the occasion, All Lit Up by Don McGlashan, performed by musical talent including Adeaze, Hinewehi Mohi, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and others.

Martin Snedden, CEO for Tournament Organiser Rugby New Zealand 2011, says the Opening Ceremony has been masterminded by live event company, David Atkins Enterprises (DAE), which has staged opening events such as the Vancouver Winter Olympics and Sydney Olympic Games so fans are in for a special night.

“The ceremony will be a powerful tribute to New Zealand’s creative skills. Some of our finest talent have been working hard to show the world why we are such a skilled and innovative country so this is their chance to shine on the world stage. We have drawn on many of our best choreographers, costume designers, set builders, musicians and many others, plus a cast of 1000 volunteer performers who have given up their time to be part of this amazing show.

“DAE have assembled an amazing team of New Zealand creative talent who have given the ceremony a uniquely Kiwi feel.”

The ceremony is the first opportunity for Kiwi fans to see some dazzling video projection technology not seen on such a scale before in New Zealand.

As well, there will be a unique interpretation of the official Tournament song World in Union featuring the combined talents of over 400 singers, in a performance that will have a special Pacific flavour.

“The performance will sum up the cosmopolitan character of our young nation with singers of Maori, Pakeha, Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island, Niuean, Tongan, Tokelauan, Australian, Chinese, Korean, English, Irish, Danish, American, Canadian, Dutch, South African and Indian descent."

There will also be special recognition of Christchurch, which lost its role as a host city for RWC 2011 following February’s tragic earthquake.

New Zealand musician and composer Victoria Kelly is the Music Director for the ceremony and has written the score which will be revealed for the first time on September 9. “The scale of this production is beyond anything I could have imagined when I started working on it,” she said.

Costume designer Jane Holland has been busy preparing thousands of costumes with a small team including a number of design students. In explaining the requirements for her designs, she said “I was thinking about how things would appear from a distance for the live audience, but also because it’s televised, how they will appear close up as well.”

Robin Rawstorne is heading up the design team responsible for developing and building the set and props required for the event. “It’s a really intense, consolidated experience that will hopefully showcase to the world some of those amazing things that make up New Zealand” he said.

The ceremony will feature more than 1000 volunteer performers as well as hundreds of backstage crew.

The Rugby World Cup 2011 kicks-off with New Zealand v Tonga, at Eden Park at 8.30pm, to an international television audience estimated at more than 50 million

Auckland Waterfront What’s On When - 9 September 2011

4.00pm - Tamaki Herenga Waka – fleet arrival

4.40pm - Dave Dobbyn and band at Queens Wharf

5.00pm - Mass haka and kaihoe procession - Eastern Viaduct/Quay Street

5.45pm - Mayoral welcome on Queens Wharf, followed by haka

6pm - The Finn Brothers concert

7.30pm - Opening Ceremony from Eden Park live on the waterfront big screens

7.55pm - Sound and light show – Auckland's biggest and brightest fireworks and light show set to music composed specially for the occasion by Don McGlashan

8.15pm - Opening Match from Eden Park live on the waterfront big screens

10.20pm - Concert by top New Zealand music acts on Queens Wharf, featuring Dane Rumble, Midnight Youth, Kora and Manuel Bundy

2.00am - Queens Wharf closes.

Further info: Auckland 2011

Queens Wharf is made up of four main performance spaces – The Forecourt, The Main Stage, Shed 10 and The Cloud.

Related link: Behind the scenes with some of the Opening Ceremony key players - NZ Herald

REAL New Zealand Festival: Find creative and cultural events on throughout New Zealand.