The opening ceremony of the XXX Summer Olympic Games took place on June 27, 2012 at the 80,000-seat stadium, built specifically for this major sporting event. The show's director, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, called his creation "Islands of Wonders."
The organizers of the Olympiad have repeatedly stated that the current ceremony will surpass all previous ones in terms of scope and "chips", including the grandiose event shown in Beijing four years ago. However, the cost of preparing the show was $ 43 million. The cost of the transfers of one star player is comparable for European football clubs.
Those who came to the stadium found themselves in the land of hobbits from the works of Tolkien, plunged into the cozy English countryside. The opening ceremony started at exactly 21.00. The winner of the 2012 Tour de France, three-time Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins heralded its beginning by striking the largest bell in the world. The 27-ton giant made a powerful sound, and for the next half hour, the audience was devoted to how England turned from an agrarian country to an industrial giant. Then the organizers paid attention to how sick children are taken care of in England, as well as national children's literature, known throughout the world.
Queen Elizabeth II appeared spectacularly. First, in a video with 007, played by Daniel Craig, then directly on the podium, accompanied by the head of the IOC Jacques Rogge.
The culmination of the ceremony, as always, was the passage in front of the spectators of the national Olympic teams. In total, 204 official delegations and a group of independent athletes under the flag of the International Olympic Committee passed through the stadium. National flags were carried by star masters. Basketball player Po Gasol became the Spanish standard-bearer, tennis player Novak Djokovic was Serbian, the national flag of Russia was carried by Maria Sharapova. But most of the standard-bearers, 62 athletes, represented the queen of sports - athletics.
Then the official part of the ceremony began, during which Elizabeth II declared the London Olympic Games open. Then David Beckham arrived on a boat on the Thames with the Olympic flame. He passed it on to five-time Olympic champion Steve Redgrave, who brought it to the stadium. The seven young sports hopes of England carried the fire through the stadium, and they lit the torch, consisting of 204 petals. The ceremony was closed by Sir Paul McCartney with The Beatles' immortal hit "Hey Jude".
