The 2025 SKAO General Science Meeting, A new era in astrophysics: Preparing for early science with the SKAO, commenced yesterday in Görlitz, Germany, and on-line. The meeting will include three days of plenary sessions, plus one and a half days of parallel sessions organised to maximise collaborative discussion between scientists. In addition to an overview of the SKAO from the Director General, Phil Diamond (above), the first day included an Introduction to the German Centre for Astrophysics (DZA), updates on SKAO construction, commissioning, and preparations for operations, efforts towards RFI mitigation, and updates from a number of the Science Working Groups.