SAO PAULO, June 12 — Leave the bottles of water, long umbrellas and vuvuzelas at home, warn organisers of the FIFA World Cup, as security will be tight for the hundreds of thousands of spectators lucky enough to score a ticket to the biggest single-sport competition in the world.

As Brazil prepares to open the games with its first match today in a game between the home team and Croatia, organisers have issued reminders on items that will be banned across stadiums across the country.

A dozen cities will be hosting matches, and the same rules will be enforced at all stadiums.

Though the list of forbidden items includes the obvious — weapons, fireworks, laser pointers and potentially offensive slogans — attendees should also note the following list of forbidden items:

— Long umbrellas and parasols will be taken from you, as organisers say they could be used as a weapon.

— Though you may be tempted to avoid price mark-ups on drinks and snacks by trying to sneak in your own cache of refreshments, know that security will be enforcing a strict no-liquid — alcoholic or not — and food ban. Foods must be purchased inside the stadiums. Plastic cups are accepted.

— Video cameras, digital recorders, any sort of video recording equipment

— Laptops, and tablet PCs

— After the controversy over the noise-making vuvuzelas during the last games in South Africa, Brazil has implemented an outright ban on any instruments which produce an excessive amount of noise that includes megahorns and hooters. Vuvuzelas are classified as a musical instrument, another category which faces a ban. Attendees in South Africa may beg to differ, however, as the constant drone of the noisemaker was described as infernal and tortuous.

— Props and signs must fall within permitted measurements: The only acceptable poles will be the flexible kind, which are 1m or less in length and 1cm in diameter at most. Banners and flags can be no larger than 2m by 1.5m. — AFP-Relaxnews