The Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Games takes place at the Olympic Stadium on the 12th of August 2012. The London 2012 Closing Ceremony celebrates the achievements of athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and includes a Handover to the next Host City Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. The Closing Ceremony also features the extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, signalling the end of the Games.

The Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games will provide an opportunity for the world to view the artistic expression of Artistic Director Kim Gavin, his team and the culture of our Host City and the UK. As with the Opening Ceremony, there are certain elements that must feature as outlined in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter. The artistic performance of the Ceremony then gets underway and celebrates the success of the Games.

The Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games will be titled ‘A Symphony of British Music’, to celebrate the fact that music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years. The worldwide broadcast of the Ceremony will start at 9pm and feature more than 4,100 performers, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London Host Boroughs.The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) has been appointed to record the soundtracks for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Closing Ceremony, traditionally features a march of the athletes, the hoisting of the three flags, speeches and the poignant extinguishing of the Olympic Flame - as well as one final cultural spectacle, plus a look ahead at the 2016 Games and the next host city, Rio.