London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony details revealed
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The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games will be called ‘Green and Pleasant Land’ and will see the Olympic Stadium transformed into a replica of the rolling British countryside.
Model for the opening ceremony
Art directed by Danny Boyle, the set design will feature meadows, fields and rivers, as well as families taking picnics, sport being played on the village green and farmers tilling the soil while real animals graze – including 12 horses, three cows, two goats, 10 ducks, nine geese, 70 sheep and three sheepdogs.
The set will also feature the national flowers of all four home nations – the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales and the flax of Northern Ireland.
Model for the opening ceremony
Boyle says, ‘The ceremony is an attempt to capture a picture of ourselves as a nation, where we have come from and where we want to be.’
Seb Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, says, ‘With only 45 days to go, one of the biggest sets ever built for a show is beginning to develop in the Olympic Stadium.
Detail from opening ceremony model
‘I’m sure that Danny’s ceremony will be a fantastic celebration that will welcome the 10 500 athletes from around the world and make our nation proud.’
The opening ceremony will be held on 27 July.
Detail from opening ceremony model
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Readers' comments (28)
Jonny Muirhead | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:53 am
Wow! This set looks great. It really reminds me of my old Hornby 00 train set. It's just missing a life size Hogwarts Express or perhaps Wallace and Gromit careering at speed in their Austin A7 van through the faux country lanes for a truly authentic re-presenting of our great nations. Speaking of which it appear that Scotland is represented twice and Northern Ireland not at all, or is that a typo?
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Editor's comments | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:53 am
It was a typo, which we've now corrected.
Rob | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:18 pm
I cannot wait for the first fireworks to go off and cause a stampede!
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Anonymous | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:20 pm
Has he never heard of the expression "Never work with animals of children"? It's going to be mayhem.
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Anonymous | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:22 pm
Wake up and smell the coffee. Pastoral scenes of village life, farmers tilling soil? Please! It's the 21st century.The world's a slightly edgier place than that. Have people been paid to put together this bit of blue sky thinking that a primary school teacher could have dreamed up with a class of seven year olds? Shocking
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Anonymous | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:26 pm
I love it. It would be amazing to see huge giant puppets roaming about....
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Tallpaul | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:33 pm
Will the chickens be sporting their own McDonalds branding whilst the morris dancers sup pints of Coke?
I can't wait!
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Richard Gregory | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:39 pm
Where’s Michael Bentine when you need him?
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Jeff Wode | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 1:55 pm
This is AMAZING - what a great idea using the earth they dug up for the stadium, to build some allotments inside. Let's build a great olympic village and show how great the landscape is... what do you mean there's none left?
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David | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 2:02 pm
Danny Boyle has not ventured into the countryside recently. From what I have seen it is covered in those big wind turbines.
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Anna Cotton | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 2:12 pm
Looks lovely and twee but a bit 19th century. I don't think it is particularly representative of Britain today. Of course the countryside and our rural heritage is important, but where are the cities, urban culture, technology, etc, the things which make Britain current and relevant in the world?
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Anonymous | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 2:37 pm
I think to create an idea that visualises '21st Century' would not portray our great nation.
Beijing, Athens, Sydney, all these past host nations visulised and payed homage to there past and origins within there opening ceremony so why not us? I feel we have a far richer heritage and history then any of these other nations. you can step outside to see this 21st century whenever you feel
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Sarah Davey | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 3:08 pm
Hobbitshire! Pleasant, nice and totally at odds with the values of diversity and urban grit expressed in the Olympic logo
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Anonymous | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 3:38 pm
Where is Gandalf...ohhhh wait I have spotted him...
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James Nelson | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 7:02 pm
how are they gonna fit all the people in there though? its tiny!
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Steve Carter | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 7:22 pm
No doubt the abandoned burnt out car, the supermarket trolley in the river, the discarder mattress in the hedgerow and the travelers’ camp on the village green won’t be overlooked
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Kat | Tue, 12 Jun 2012 7:40 pm
The Olympics are the London Olympics, not the British Olympics, so I don't really understand why the idea focuses on rural life, unless it's all meant to be an ode to Hackney City Farm?! I like the way it looks, but it doesn't feel very on-message.
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Stephanie Brown | Wed, 13 Jun 2012 9:16 am
I think this is actually a good idea. We could never top Beijing's opening ceremony in terms of 21st century wow factor, so Danny Boyle's being clever to do something completely different. The reality is that people outside of the UK like the romantic 'twee' quintessential Britain. And with 1BN people watching it, they'll love this!
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Mike Bell | Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:50 am
Just a pity the 'model' looks like it was glued and stick-back-plasticked by John Noakes...
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Anonymous | Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:38 pm
I will reserve judgement as DB has proved he is a talented director. And obviously he was chosen for a reason..... However, I would have thought it would be a little more representative of 21st Century and show a little more of the diversity, lifestyle and technology that London - the host city - embodies. Just saying :s
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Match C | Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:42 pm
Excellent work - the combination of the rather twee, idealised, countryside pastiche and the inevitable grumbling about how bad an idea it is will, together, illuminate our national character rather well.
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