The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday 27 July 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London, during which the Games were formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II.As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the ceremonial opening of this international sporting event (including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes ...

On August 12, the Olympic Stadium – which staged so many impressive sporting achievements during the Games – played host to a kaleidoscopic ceremony that celebrated the best of British music, with performances by artists including One Direction, Annie Lennox, George Michael, the Spice Girls, Take That and The Who.