People all across the world are preparing for what promises to be one of the most interactive and remarkable Olympic seasons in London during the coming weeks.
After seven years of intensive planning, the Games will officially begin in east London where 80,000 spectators will watch a spectacular show led by “Slumdog Millionaire” director, Danny Boyle, the creative head of the ceremony, according to Yahoo Sports.
Queen Elizabeth II will declare the Games officially open in the Olympic Stadium after a ceremony which Boyle has promised will showcase Britain’s history as well as the nation’s quirky sense of humor.
Anchors from NBC’s The Today show who were able to get a sneak peak of the opening ceremony, commented on the fact that the ceremony will capture the unique aspects of the different cultures of the United Kingdom. Comedy bits will be an unusual part of the ceremony this year, which will surely add even more of a light-hearted atmosphere to the legendary Games.
Yahoo reported that more than 120 world leaders are expected to attend the ceremony, while First Lady Michelle Obama will represent the United States, alongside a host of celebrities including Angelina Jolie.
The Olympic flame has been rowed up the River Thames in a ceremonial barge as it will approach the end of a 70-day journey around Britain and Ireland. The person who will light the Olympic cauldron remains a closely guarded secret.
The weather is apparently threatening the capital city with a heavy cloud, but it is expected to be dry in time for the opening ceremony.
Today’s Olympic-themed Google Doodle reminds us to tune in and watch the show. Twitter was down for half an hour Thursday amid the London Games frenzy, due to a cascading bug, according to the Telegraph. The micro-blogging site has corrected the issue and should be running smoothly for the opening. CNN reported on the fact that more than 3,500 hours of competition from London, which will be crammed into just 17 days can be watched from tablets, computers and smartphones this time around.
This year, 40% of people plan to follow the games on more than one device, with 35% checking in on their tablets and 27% using their smartphone, according to a new study by Harris Interactive.
The network gave a few lists of official athletes that will be tweeting, Official social media pages for the London 2012 Olympics and official apps that will make it easier to corral all the mobile and online updates. It also warned that “cord-cutters”—those who watch all their television shows and movies through online venues like Netflix or Hulu—would be out of luck as far as live streaming unless they temporarily purchased cable. Otherwise those viewers will have to catch clips, social media feeds or just head over to a buddy’s house to see full live footage.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm and the Games will continue until August 12.