Closing Ceremony

Closing Ceremonies include a Handover from one Host City to the next

The Closing Ceremony celebrates the achievements of athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and includes a Handover from one Host City to the next. In 2012, London will hand over to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Closing Ceremony also features the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, signalling the end of the Games.
The Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games will provide an opportunity for the world to view the artistic expression of Artistic Director Kim Gavin, his team and the culture of our Host City and the UK. As with the Opening Ceremony, there are certain elements that must feature as outlined in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter. The artistic performance of the Ceremony then gets underway and celebrates the success of the Games.
The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be titled ‘A Symphony of British Music’, to celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years. The worldwide broadcast of the Ceremony will start at 9pm and feature more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs.
Organisers will work with some of the country’s most globally successful musicians, along with some of the industry’s stars of tomorrow. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) has been appointed to record the soundtracks for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

March of the athletes

The flagbearers of the participating delegations enter the Stadium in single file, closely followed by the athletes. At the Closing Ceremony, athletes march together, not by nationality. This is a tradition that began at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games and is a way of bringing the athletes of the world together as 'one nation'.

Flags and speeches

Three national flags are hoisted on flagpoles one at a time, while the corresponding national anthems are played: the flag of Greece to honour the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the flag of the Host Nation (UK), and the flag of the country hosting the next Summer Olympic Games (Brazil). The Mayor of the Host City joins the President of the IOC on the rostrum and gives him back the flag. The President of the IOC then symbolically presents this to the Mayor of the next Host City of the Olympic Games, before making a speech declaring the Games closed.

Extinguishing of the Flame

The Olympic Flame, which has been burning in the Cauldron since the opening of the Games, is then extinguished – a poignant and moving moment for all those involved in the Games and the audience at large.

Creative team

A host of world-class British directors and producers are leading the artistic team to stage the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Games.

Performers

A total cast of 15,000 will take part in the London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which will be watched by an estimated audience of four billion.