Celebrating the handover to London
by Jane Fletcher, Executive Producer, BBC Events
Sunday 24 August 2008 will be another significant day in Britain’s sporting history – the day that London officially takes up the role of host city for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Preparations have been under way for some time to mark this Olympic handover occasion in a special celebratory way, with a landmark, multi-artist concert. This event, taking place on the Mall, will be broadcast live on BBC One and Radio 2 and will feature a lineup of national and international performers – a great combination of heritage names and contemporary acts. And joining the performers in the Mall will be the cream of British sport and high-profile special guests.
BBC Sport has been involved closely throughout, especially in preparing for the actual moment of transition from Beijing to London. The Olympic coverage on 24 August will culminate with the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games. Once the Games have officially finished – and following a live link from the BBC presenter in Beijing to the presenter in London – the party celebrations here will kick off in style.
Great music will be at the heart of this special concert, which will feature a string of hits, together with some unique interpretations of contemporary songs and anthems used in a sporting context that have had a huge, unifying impact on the national consciousness. The 90-minute live show will feature many special performances, including bands, one-off collaborations and solo artists. Sport and music are always a strong combination and by featuring some iconic ‘sports’ tracks, performed in a refreshing and surprising new way, the show will engage both the thousands of people in the Mall and the millions of viewers at home.
The BBC has been liaising with the organisers of London 2012 and this party is the first major step in the country’s build-up to the London Games in four years’ time. Detailed planning has gone into the celebrations, including creating a modern stage in sympathy with the beautiful historic setting of the Mall and Buckingham Palace. And people who have not secured tickets to the live concert will still have an opportunity to enjoy the celebrations via big screens erected at sites nationwide.
As the concert preparations reach their climax in the coming weeks, the one thing no one can predict of course is the good old British weather, especially on a bank holiday weekend. But come what may on 24 August, nothing will dampen spirits on the day.
Related links
- BBC Olympics
- BBC Paralympics
- BBC Sport
- BBC Beijing coverage
- BBC Topics - China '08
- BBC London 2012 coverage
- BBC Outreach
- London 2012 website
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites
