2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony
The 2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony was held on 29 August 2012, starting at 20:30 BST and marking the official opening of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, England. The show – named Enlightenment – had Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings as its artistic directors, leading a team that included Jon Bausor as set designer and Moritz Junge as costume designer. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Games. The ceremony was performed in the Olympic stadium in London in front of a capacity audience of 80,000 people.
2012 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony
Performers holding umbrellas fly around the stadium.
The Queen (centre right) and Sir Philip Craven (centre left) arrive.
Alison Lapper Pregnant in the middle of the stadium as the cast form the agitos during "I Am What I Am".
The London Stadium is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the Stratford district of London. It is located in the Lower Lea Valley, 6 miles (10 km) east of central London. The stadium was constructed specifically for the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics, serving as the Athletics venue and as the site of their opening and closing ceremonies. Following the Games, it was renovated for multi-purpose use and now serves primarily as the home of Premier League club West Ham United, who played at the Boleyn Ground before moving to the stadium in 2016.
View of the stadium in October 2022
The stadium in July 2012
Exploded view of the stadium's layers
Olympic Stadium interior