2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony

Lore & Background

The ceremony was conceived as a celebration of British music and culture, with creative director Kim Gavin stating the show was 'very shiny, very colourful' and intended to be fun. Musical director David Arnold devoted two years to the project, turning down other work including the film Skyfall, and described it as the 'most fun' he had ever had in music. The arena was transformed into a giant black-and-white Union Flag designed by Damien Hirst, who called his artwork 'Beautiful Union Jack Celebratory Patriotic Olympic Explosion in an Electric Storm Painting.'

Reader's Guide

The closing ceremony served as the formal conclusion of the 2012 Summer Olympics, with Jacques Rogge officially closing the Games and calling them 'happy and glorious.' It included the lowering of the Olympic flag, extinguishing of the flame, and an eight-minute handover segment by Rio de Janeiro titled 'Embrace,' featuring Pelé. The ceremony was broadcast worldwide, drawing an estimated 750 million viewers globally and 23.2 million in the UK. Critics were generally positive. The event also featured a tribute to John Lennon and Freddie Mercury, and a separate concert in Hyde Park with Blur, New Order, and The Specials.

Did You Know?

• The ceremony cost £20 million, with artists paid just £1 for contractual purposes.
• Around 4,100 performers took part, including 3,500 adult volunteers, 380 schoolchildren, and 250 professionals.
• Some performers declined to appear, including The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, and Kate Bush.
• The Union Flag arena design by Damien Hirst used 176 photographs per centimetre of artwork.