The absolute highlights of the summer are certainly the Olympic Games and the surrounding programs and events in London. Even for long-established residents of the city London 2012 will surpass all previous records again. A city of superlatives, which, by hosting and staging the Olympic Games, adds even more superlatives to the records. London is the first city which could win the bid for the Modern Olympics for the third time.
Olympics
From 27 July to 12 August the Olympic Games take place at 29 venues inside and outside of London in 302 competitions in 26 sports (162 men, 132 women and eight mixed competitions). The Olympic Zone in Straford district accommodates eight venues, the Olympic Village and the International Media Center. The River Zone consists of four venues in East London on both sides of the Thames, a few miles south of the Olympic Park. The Central Zone consists of eight venues in Greater London. These are spread across the city center and west of the city. Nine other venues are located outside London. Here you can find the London 2012 Competition Schedule.
Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. There will be 1.6 million tickets available for the various events with a predicted sell-out rate of 63%. In their evaluation report, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) states that “With its rich history, the capacities of UK Paralympic Sport are among the best in the world.”
London 2012 Festival – Cultural Olympiad
From 21 June to 9 September London will be transformed into a giant festival area, as an alternative program offered to those London visitors not so keenly interested in the Olympics, or simply couldn’t get tickets to the competitions. In addition to the offerings of the Cultural Olympiad there will be several public viewing spots available within the city. The Olympic Charter, the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games and the governing the Olympic Movement states that “The OCOG shall organise a programme of cultural events which must cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open.” London’s Cultural Olympiad includes 500 events spread over four years and culminating in the London 2012 Festival. In addition to the Cultural Olympiad there will be approximately another 500 events spread across the entire metropolitan area.
