The Summer Games officially start Friday with the anticipated Danny Boyle-produced Opening Ceremonies, a spectacle that will feature Queen Elizabeth, Paul McCartney, loud music and bright lights.
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad, also known informally as London 2012, is scheduled to take place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July (when the opening ceremony is held) until 12 August 2012. The first event, the group stages in women’s football, began two days earlier on 25 July.[1]2] Over 10,000 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are expected to participate.[3]
Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and the then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris.[4] London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times,[5][6] having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.[7][8]
Construction in preparation for the Games has involved considerable redevelopment, particularly themed towards sustainability.[9] The main focus of this is a new 200 hectare Olympic Park, constructed on a former industrial site at Stratford in the east of London.[10] The Games also make use of many venues which were already in place before the bid.
Torch relay
The Olympics torch relay runs from 19 May to 27 July 2012, before the games. Plans for the relay were developed in 2010–11, with the torch-bearer selection process announced on 18 May 2011.[144] The Olympic Flame arrived on flight BA2012 on 18 May 2012 from Greece.[145] The relay will last 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations and six island visits, involving about 8,000 people carrying the torch a distance of about 8,000 miles (12,800 km), starting from Land’s End in Cornwall.[146] The torch had one day outside of the United Kingdom when it visited Dublin on 6 June.[147] The relay is focusing on National Heritage Sites, locations and venues with sporting significance, key sporting events, schools registered with the Get Set School Network, green spaces and biodiversity, Live Sites (city locations with large screens), festivals and other events.[148]
Opening ceremony
The Opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics will be held on 27 July 2012 and be called “The Isles of Wonder”.[149] Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle will be the artistic director for the opening ceremony and the music directors will be Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of the electronic music duo Underworld.[150]
The games will be officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[151] A short film starring Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond will be screened during the television coverage of the ceremony.[152] Sir Paul McCartney has announced he will perform at the end of the ceremony.[153]
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics will start on 12 August 2012. The ceremony will include a handover by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, to Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of 2016 Summer Olympics.[154] The Spice Girls are rumoured to be reuniting for the first time since 2008 to perform in the closing ceremony.[155]
