The Olympics closing ceremony will feature some of the biggest names in British music and is likely to draw a global audience running in the hundreds of millions after the opening showpiece attracted an estimated 900 million television viewers.
The ceremony will take place this Sunday, Aug. 12 and will be held at the 80,000-capacity main stadium in London where the July 27 opening ceremony took place.
The Olympics closing ceremony will be directed by Kim Gavin and is appropriately titled "A Symphony of British Music." Specific details of performers and the lineup have been kept under wraps, but certain sources close to the planning have leaked details to British media outlets.
Perhaps one of the most anticipated acts, British Grammy-award winning singer Adele is hoped to be performing, although there has been no official confirmation as of now. The "Rolling in the Deep" singer is currently pregnant which means it may be more likely she will not be performing at the ceremony.
The globe-conquering boy band One Direction are tipped to be on the bill. Coldplay, Muse, The Who, Queen, Madness, Annie Lennox, Kaiser Chiefs, Tinie Tempah, Jessie J, Ed Sheeran and Elbow are also rumored to feature.
Confirmed to appear is George Michael, who announced it via Twitter. "Hey everyone, how are you. Spending most of the next week rehearsing like crazy for the Olympic closing ceremony....." he wrote on Tuesday.
Popular 1990s girl band, The Spice Girls, have also been confirmed to perform. Photos of the girls, now women, rehearsing for the event have been taken and so far it appears like it's going to be a standout performance. The Spice Girls were photographed dancing atop black London taxis, so a rendition of their biggest hit, "Wannabe," seems certain.
The Who, Muse and Ed Sheeran have all said they will take part in a show that will include performances of 30 British hit singles from the past five decades.
At the very end of the Olympics closing ceremony, the Olympic Flame, which has been burning in the stadium since the opening ceremony, is extinguished, marking the official end of the 2012 Games.
The British Olympic Association has announced there will be a victory parade through London in September, after the close of the Paralympic Games which run from Aug. 29-Sept. 9.
The closing ceremony will air in on NBC in prime time on Sunday from 7 to 10:38 p.m. EST. It will not be broadcasted live so what you can expect is an edited version, just like how NBC aired the opening ceremony.
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The ceremony will also be a great celebration for the U.S. team as the nation is leading the gold medal count with 41 gold medals, 4 more than its closest rival, China.
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