User Reviews

The Opening Ceremony for the 30th Olypiad was an enormous success, and following 16 days of exciting sporting events everyone was looking forward to this final event on the BBC, created by Kim Gavin, Es Devlin, Stephen Daldry, David Arnold and Mark Fisher. Highlights of the Rush Hour section included Emeli Sandé singing "Read All About It Part 3", Stomp performing and Julian Lloyd Webber playing cello. Highlights of the God Save the Queen, Street Party and Waterloo Sunset sections included Sir Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall) reciting The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Madness singing "Our House", the Massed Band of the Guards Division playing "Parklife", Pet Shop Boys singing "West End Girls", One Direction singing "What Makes You Beautiful", Britain's Got Talent winners Spelbound performing a gymnastic routine and Ray Davies of The Kinks performed "Waterloo Sunset". Following the parade of athletes from 204 nations, who competed in 302 events in 26 sports, including 29 golds for Great Britain, and Elbow singing "Open Arms" and "One Day Like This", the Here Comes the Sun section passed, including a newly recorded of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by Kate Bush. Highlights of the A Symphony of British Music section included "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen playing, "Imagine" by John Lennon playing with the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, George Michael singing Freedom '90" and "White Light", Kaiser Chiefs performing "Pinball Wizard" by The Who, extracts of songs such as "Space Oddity" and "Let's Dance" by David Bowie playing, and a celebration of British fashion featuring Naomi Campbell (wearing Alexander McQueen), Lily Cole (wearing Erdem), Karen Elson (wearing Burberry), Lily Donaldson (wearing Vivienne Westwood), Jourdan Dunn (wearing Jonathan Saunders), David Gandy (wearing Paul Smith), Georgia May Jagger (daughter Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall) (wearing Victoria Beckham), Kate Moss (wearing Alexander McQueen) and Stella Tennant (wearing Christopher Kane). More highlights include Annie Lennox singing "Little Bird", Ed Sheeran by Richard Jones of The Feeling, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Mike Rutherford of Genesis and Mike + The Mechanics covering the Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"; Russell Brand performing "Pure Imagination" from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and "I Am the Walrus" by The Beatles, Fatboy Slim performing "Right Here, Right Now", "The Rockafeller Skank", Jessie J singing "Price Tag", Tinie Tempah singing "Written in the Stars" with Jessie J, Taio Cruz singing "Dynamite"; and Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz performing "You Should Be Dancing" by Bee Gees. Highlights continue with the Spice Girls singing "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life", Beady Eye singing Oasis song "Wonderwall", "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra plays as a man prepares to get fired from a cannon, it goes wrong, Eric Idle appears and sings "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life", accompanied by roller skating nuns, Morris dancers, Roman soldiers, bhangra musicians and dancers; Muse singing "Survival", finally Freddie Mercury is projected on screen performing a vocal improvisation, before Brian May plays "Brighton Rock" on guitar, then performs "We Will Rock You", with vocals by Jessie J. Highlights of The Road to Rio and Embrace sections included The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, handing the Olympic Flag to Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, who passes it to Eduardo Paes, the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, for the 2016 Olympics, followed by a celebration of Rio, including Renato Sorriso dancing the samba, Seu Jorge and BNegão singing and other Brazilian performer, and appearance by Pelé. Highlights of the Closing of the Games and Finale included Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Jacques Rogge giving speeches, the cauldron, made of more than 200 copper petals, is lowered and the Olympic extinguished, Take That singing "Rule the World", Darcey Bussell and other ballet dancers perform, and The Who singing "Baba O'Riley", "See Me, Feel Me" and "My Generation". Narrated by Huw Edwards, Hazel Irvine and Trevor Nelson, Prince Harry (Henry) of Wales, representing the Queen; Kate Middleton, Ben Ainslie, Damien Hurst, Jonathan "Jonny" Brownlee and Alistair Brownlee, Mo Farah, Adam Gemili, Christine Ohuruogu, Kath Grainger, Louis Smith, Sam Oldham, soprano Susan Bullock and David Cameron and wife Samantha. The Olympics in Great Britain was one of the best things that was ever going to happen in my lifetime, this ceremony had great special effects, fantastic music throughout, and many colourful and memorable moments, it was the most watched television show of the year, over 26 million viewers, it made me proud to be British, a splendid live sport entertainment event. Very good!