Fareez Farkhan: December 2012

16 days of London 2012 Olympics Games was a spectacular event of all times. A lot of incidents, tears, inspiration and experience gained from that very 16 days. On August 12, the Games of the XXX Olympiad came to its end and the closing ceremony held at the Olympic Stadium, Stratford, London. The ceremony was broadcast worldwide and estimated 23.2 million viewers in United Kingdom watched the event, plus, average 750 million worldwide watched the ceremony as well. Some critics received were positive, yet noted that it wasn't good as the opening ceremony because [to me] all the performances are based on singing only and it's more to mega concert where all very famous singer and group singer come together to perform on this once in four years event.

The opening of Closing Ceremony shows that the stadium had been turned into a giant Union Jack Flag and all the props are covered with newspaper.

One of the earliest performer performed in the opening of the ceremony; One Direction

The Household Ceremonial State Band performed for welcoming HRH Prince Henry on behalf his grandmother, Elizabeth II to attend the ceremony

The athletes entered the stadium after several few segment with the representatives of each country carried their own national flag; Malaysia's diver who received bronze medal carried the Jalur Gemilang, Pandelela Rinong

The last medalist and the last who step on London Olympics official podium

The volunteers were thanks by the athletes for their contribution during the 16 days game

Here are the list of performers who performed during the closing ceremony;

Emeli Sandé – "Read All About It (Part III)"^[22]
Urban Voices Collective – "Because"
Julian Lloyd Webber featuring London Symphony Orchestra – "Salut d'Amour"
London Symphony Orchestra - "God Save the Queen"
Madness featuring Hackney Colliery Band – "Our House"
Massed Bands of the Guards Division – "Parklife"
Pet Shop Boys – "West End Girls"^[22]
One Direction – "What Makes You Beautiful"
The Beatles – "A Day in the Life"
Ray Davies – "Waterloo Sunset"
Emeli Sandé – "Read All About It (Part III)" [Reprise]
London Symphony Orchestra – "Parade of Nations/Athletes" (David Arnold cover)
Elbow featuring Urban Voices Collective & London Symphony Orchestra – "Open Arms", "One Day Like This"
Madness featuring Hackney Colliery Band – "Our House" [Reprise]
Household Division Ceremonial State Band – "Parklife" (Blur cover) [Reprise]
Pet Shop Boys – "West End Girls" [Reprise]
One Direction – "What Makes You Beautiful" [Reprise]
Kate Bush – "Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God) (2012 Remix)"
David Arnold – "Medal Ceremony"
London Symphony Orchestra – "Oh Uganda, Land of Beauty"
Urban Voices Collective – "Here Comes the Sun" (The Beatles cover)
Queen – "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir featuring John Lennon – "Imagine" (John Lennon cover)
George Michael – "Freedom '90",^[22] "White Light"
Kaiser Chiefs^[22] – "Pinball Wizard"
David Bowie – "Space Oddity", "Changes", "Ziggy Stardust", "The Jean Genie", "Rebel Rebel", "Diamond Dogs", "Young Americans", "Let's Dance", "Fashion"
Annie Lennox – "Little Bird"^[22]
Ed Sheeran^[22] featuring Nick Mason, Mike Rutherford and Richard Jones – "Wish You Were Here"
Russell Brand^[22] featuring London Symphony Orchestra – "Pure Imagination"
Russell Brand featuring Bond – "I Am the Walrus" (The Beatles cover)
Fatboy Slim^[22] – "Right Here, Right Now", "The Rockafeller Skank"
Jessie J – "Price Tag"
Tinie Tempah featuring Jessie J – "Written in the Stars"
Taio Cruz – "Dynamite"
Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz – performing The Bee Gees - "You Should Be Dancing"
Spice Girls – "Wannabe", "Spice Up Your Life"
Beady Eye – "Wonderwall"^[50]
Electric Light Orchestra – "Mr. Blue Sky"
Eric Idle accompanied by soprano Susan Bullock (as Britannia), Hackney Colliery Band, London Welsh Rugby Club, Reading Scottish Pipe Band and Blackheath Morris Men – "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"^[22]
Muse – "Survival"
Freddie Mercury – "Vocal Improvisation" (Live at Wembley Stadium)
Queen – "Brighton Rock"^[22]
Queen featuring Jessie J – "We Will Rock You"^[22]
London Symphony Orchestra – "Ýmnos is tin Eleftherían"
London Symphony Orchestra featuring London Welsh Male Voice Choir and London Welsh Rugby Club Choir – "Olympic Hymn"
London Symphony Orchestra – "Hino Nacional Brasileiro"
Marisa Monte – "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5"
BNegão – "Maracatu Atômico" (Jorge Mautner cover)
Seu Jorge – "Nem vem que não tem" (Wilson Simonal cover)
Marisa Monte featuring BNegão and Seu Jorge – "Aquele Abraço" (Gilberto Gil cover)
London Symphony Orchestra – "Extinguishing the Flame"
Take That – "Rule the World"^[22]
John Barry – "The John Dunbar Theme" from Dances with Wolves
David Arnold – "Spirit of the Flame"
The Who^[22] – a medley composed of "Baba O'Riley," "See Me, Feel Me" and "My Generation"

note: you can click on the list above, if you do not know the performer.

Sources: Wikipedia

Jessie J performed "Price Tag"

Spice Girl made their reunion during the ceremony; this was the highlight of the event

Eric Idle performance

The Queen and Jessie J

Annie Lennox performed "Little Bird"

The game was officially closed by the President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), Mr. Jacques Rogge. The ceremony also included the handover to the next host city for 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil. It was the first South American country to host Olympics Games after celebrated 30th Olympics Games in London. After the handover ceremony, Rio marked with an eight minute sequence known as "Embrace" to give the a picture and teaser of how 2016 Olympics Games look like. Obviously, when I watched this sequence, they brought me the feel of Brazilian style of music, dance, and culture, plus, the performance are so Brazil! and different from earliest performance which brought the audiences from British style to another phase of world, most importantly, they succeed to bring the audiences the taste of Rio. After the sequence, the Olympic flame extinguished and the Olympic flag lowered.