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.
Over 10,000 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are expected to participate.
The eyes of the world
will be on London on 27 July for the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic
Games, which is expected to have a global TV audience of more than a
billion people.
Award-winning film directors Danny Boyle
(Trainspotting, The Beach and Slumdog Millionaire) and Stephen Daldry
(Billy Elliot) will oversee what is sure to be the UK's biggest-ever
live show.
The opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games has been shrouded in
mystery, with director Danny Boyle keen to keep any details of the $42
million spectacle under wraps. However despite acknowledging that the
Internet and social media make it too tempting for people to keep a
secret and that spoilers are now part of "the modern world," Boyle
graciously invited 60,000 fans to witness a rehearsal of the ceremony at
the Olympic Stadium in London,
| Dates: |
27 July 2012
|
|---|
| Times: |
9pm |
| Venue: |
2012 Olympic Park and Village |
|
| | | | |
The Olympic Stadium will be transformed into a British countryside scene for the Opening Ceremony.
The
set – one of the largest ever built – will feature meadows, fields and
rivers, families eating picnics, sports being played on the village
green and real farmyard animals, including 70 sheep.
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.
London will become the first city to officially host the modern Olympic Games three times,
having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.
| 2012 Summer Olympics bidding results |
|---|
| City |
NOC |
Round 1 |
Round 2 |
Round 3 |
Round 4 |
| London |
 United Kingdom |
22 |
27 |
39 |
54 |
| Paris |
 France |
21 |
25 |
33 |
50 |
| Madrid |
 Spain |
20 |
32 |
31 |
— |
| New York City |
 United States |
19 |
16 |
— |
— |
| Moscow |
 Russia |
15 |
— |
— |
— |
If you’ve got a ticket to the Games, use the London 2012 spectator
journey planner to find the best way to get to your venue from anywhere
in Great Britain and to book your travel tickets.
The Opening Ceremony is a celebration showcasing the best of the Host
Nation. It also features a parade of all competing nations and the
highly anticipated entrance of the Olympic Flame, which ignites the
Cauldron and signals the start of the Games.
The eyes of the
world will be on London for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012
Olympic Games. The Ceremony will provide an opportunity for the world to
view the artistic expression of the Artistic Director (Danny Boyle) and
his team, and the culture of our Host City and the UK. There are
certain elements that must feature in every Ceremony, as outlined in the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter. The artistic performance
of the Ceremony then gets underway and welcomes the world to the London
2012 Games.
