11:27 AM
Shweta Pandey
The Summer Olympics is the biggest stage for the greatest athletes on earth.
Up to a billion fans will enjoy athletics, swimming and basketball to gymnastics, volleyball, diving and tennis.
But for some - the main event is the Opening Ceremony.
WHEN:
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony can be seen at 7:30 pm ET on NBC.
WHERE:
Olympic stadium is the centerpiece of London's Olympic Park, which is hosting all of the athletics and paralympic athletics events.
The Stadium seats up to 80,000 people, and 55,000 of the seats are removable. About 10,000 tons of steel were used to build the venue, compared to the 42,000 used by Beijing for their ‘Bird’s Nest’.
THE SHOW:
This year's show is called the 'Isle of Wonder.' A celebration of British culture, with a touch of Shakespeare, pop music, James Bond — and even some farm animals. Up to a billion people are expected to tune in to the $42 million, three-hour extravaganza.
Over 15,000 volunteers have worked together on the show that will bring you through the rich and textured journey through British history.
The man behind the massive Opening Ceremony effort is Director Danny Boyle.
Boyle says there will be sheep, horses, a cricket game, and Paul McCartney.
Reports are also suggesting a pre-recorded segment filmed inside Buckingham Palace featuring actor Daniel Craig as Bond, and a stuntman dressed as 007 who will parachute into the stadium to start the show.
Each of Great Britain's four nations — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — will be represented by a maypole topped with their national flowers, according to the Associated Press. "A pagan folk symbol, the maypole is still commonly erected in British villages during May Day celebrations (as well as elsewhere in Europe) to celebrate the return of warmer weather."
Expect dancing nurses.
Boyle says dancing nurses will be used to celebrate the National Health Service, the country's universal health program.
#SAVETHESURPRISE:
Oscar winning film director, Boyle pulled out all the stops in attempting to keep the Opening Ceremony a secret.
During rehearsals, the hashtag #SAVETHESURPRISE was put on all of the stadium's big screens. Lord Coe, the chairman of the Olympic games,also made a personal appeal to the the crowd sealed about the show.
According to the Telegraph, although there have been aerial photographs of the rehearsal. Most tweets from show volunteers point to a spectacular show.
Jill Lawless tweeted: “I will #savethesurprise, but will just say that Danny Boyle's #London2012 opening ceremony is splendidly British and magnificently bonkers.”
TORCH LIGHTING:
The identity of the person who will light the Olympic cauldron is still a mystery but many believe it will be an Olympic champion. Roger Bannister is the favorite. Bannister broke the 4-minute barrier in the mile in 1954.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit with a flame that was kindled May 10, at the birthplace of the ancient Olympics in Greece.
Since then, 8,000 torchbearers, mostly Britons, carried the flame on a 70-day, 8,000-mile journey throughout the British Isles.
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