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The London 2012 Olympics ended with an inspiring and entertaining closing ceremony last night.

The 80,000 strong crowd was treated to a procession by the Olympians who had made the last 16 days so successful, and performances from the great and good of British pop, including Madness, the Kaiser Chiefs, Jessie J, Take That, Ray Davies, and The Who.

The ceremony got underway with a performance of “Read All About It” by Emeli Sande, before the stadium was filled with the strains of Julian Lloyd Webber’s cello and a recitation from Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” by Winston Churchill, as played by actor Timothy Spall. This was followed by performances from ’80s hitmakers Madness (“Our House”) and the Pet Shop Boys (“West End Girls”) against the backdrop of a superb recreation of the London skyline. The proceedings were then brought right up to date with a lively performance of “What Makes You Beautiful” by the boy band One Direction, before moving back to the 1960s for a dance sequence to the Beatles’ “Day In the Life,” and Ray Davies’ performance of his classic Kinks hit “Waterloo Sunset”.

The focus was then back on the Olympic athletes, as Emeli Sande’s reprisal of “Read All Bout It” was played over a montage of clips from the Games. The entrance of the flags of all competing nations was up next, with five-time Olympian Ben Ainslie carrying the British flag as Elbow took to the stage for what was one of the best performances of the night. Now the real celebration began, with all athletes entering the stadium and taking their place on Damien Hirst’s specially designed Union Flag that formed the centrepiece of the stadium.

A pyramid comprising 303 white boxes (each representing an Olympic event) was then constructed by a team of dancers, as Kate Bush’s emotive “Running Up That Hill” echoed around the stadium and another montage of clips of the Olympic athletes was shown.

After a break for the Marathon medal ceremony, it was time to pay tribute to the 70,000 volunteers for their vital contribution to the success of London 2012. A selection of volunteers were presented with flowers by athletes, including Team GB’s Katherine Grainger.

The attention was back to music next, as a remixed segment of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” led into a moving sequence where John Lennon’s “Imagine” was sang by a children’s choir and by Lennon himself on the big screen, while a giant mask of Lennon was assembled and disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. This perfectly captured the mood of the crowd and of the previous 16 days, where athletes from all over the world have been welcomed enthusiastically and respectfully to arenas, playing fields, swimming pools and other venues across the Capital.

A spirited performance from George Michael came next on his 1989 hit “Freedom,” followed by a slightly less potent “White Light”.

The Who’s appearance at the closing ceremony had been leaked, so it was no surprise when the music for “Pinball Wizard” started up and a fleet of scooters entered the stadium. Fans of The Who would have to wait though, as this turned out to be a cover of the song by the Kaiser Chiefs, who did a fine job.

Over the next hour or so, there was something for everyone to enjoy. A Bowie montage led into a celebration of British fashion, with Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell both making an appearance. This was followed by a highly theatrical performance of “Little Bird” by Annnie Lennox, which saw her enter the stadium on a galleon.

Ed Sheehan then did a good job singing Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here,” backed by Mike Rutherford of Genesis, Richard Jones of The Feeling and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd.

After that sedate and pleasing performance came an explosion of eccentricity, with comedian Russell Brand singing “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, followed by the Beatles’ “I Am A Walrus”. Fat Boy Slim then sat on top of a giant octopus while he entertained the crowd with a selection of songs, including “Funk Soul Brother”.

It was the turn of the new acts to entertain next and Jessie J didn’t disappoint with a catchy rendition of her hit “Price Tag”. She was then joined by Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz on a performance of the Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing”.

One of the most talked about parts of the show came next – the Spice Girls reunion. After all the fuss, it was all over a little quickly, with performances of their breakthrough hit “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life”. For the second part of the latter song, four London cabs were on hand to take the girls on a circuit of the stadium. London Mayor Boris Johnson’s dance moves provided one of the most amusing moments of the ceremony.

The organisers stuck with the 1990s for the next segment, with Liam Gallagher singing his signature hit “Wonderwall”. The crowd loved it and sang along enthusiastically, but the moment would have been bigger if it had been performed with brother Noel instead of the new band Beady Eye.

The singalong continued shortly afterwards with Eric Idle delivering an entertaining rendition of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”.

Muse raised the intensity next with the official song for the London 2012 Olympics, “Survival,” on which they were joined by an impressive choir.

Freddie Mercury has been dead for 21 years, but his powerful rock voice filled the Olympic stadium next with his trademark scat singing, which the crowd enthusiastically repeated. Brian May and Roger Taylor then took to the stage for a blazing rendition of “We Will Rock You,” with Jessie J guesting on vocals, and the capacity crowd offering their support.

That might have been a fitting finale to the proceedings but there was more to come. After the formal handover of the Olympic flag by Boris Johnson to the Mayor of Rio De Janeiro, and well-judged speeches by both Seb Coe and IOC President Jacques Rogge, who described the Games as “happy and glorious”. Take That then took to the stage for a powerful performance of “We Can Rule the World”. This led into a dance sequence featuring Darcey Bussell and 200 other ballerinas.

The most subdued part of the ceremony was the extinguishing of the Olympic flame, which brought an end to a Games that was a triumph for London, with both the organisation and the British medal tally exceeding all expectations. Thankfully, The Who were on hand to ensure the evening wouldn’t end on a low note. The rockers performed “Baba O’Riley” and “See Me, Feel Me,” before closing the show with an explosive “My Generation” that had everyone in attendance up on their feet.

The closing ceremony was a fitting end to a fantastic Olympic Games. Roll on Rio 2016.

Some of the most successful Team GB athletes, including Chris Hoy, Jessica Ennis and Victorial Pendleton, got together for a fun video to celebrate the success of London 2012. Enjoy!

“Don’t Stop Me Now” – Team GB

The soundtrack to the closing ceremony, titled “A Symphony of British Music,” will be released on CD on August 20 and is available for download now from iTunes. The opening ceremony soundtrack, titled “Isles of Wonder,” is out now.

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Isles of Wonder – Olympic Opening Ceremony	Buy Now	Buy Now
A Symphony of Music – Olympic Closing Ceremony	Buy Now	Buy Now