Olympic date for singer Sarah Brightman

Singer Sarah Brightman will perform at the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony on Friday, organisers have announced.

The British soprano will join Chinese singer Liu Huan to sing the official theme song to the 2008 Games.

Brightman, 47, also sang Friends for Life, the theme to the 1992 Games in Barcelona, with Jose Carreras.

The title of this year's song has been a closely kept secret. Neither Huan nor Brightman has featured in rehearsals for the spectacular ceremony.

"Needless to say this is a tremendous honour," a message on Brightman's official website reads.

American tour

Nearly 100,000 people will watch the opening ceremony in the Olympic stadium, with several billion more expected to tune in worldwide on TV.

Best-known for her musical theatre roles and her marriage to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Brightman has performed all over the world.

The singer begins a North American tour in November to promote her most recent album, Symphony.

Liu Huan, who sang the theme tune to the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, is one of the most popular male singers in China.