- MAYOR OF LONDON PRESENTS....BT LONDON LIVE - A FREE CELEBRATION OF LONDON 2012
- JOIN IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC GAMES ACROSS THREE ICONIC LOCATIONS: HYDE PARK, VICTORIA PARK AND TRAFALGAR SQUARE
- FROM 11AM TO LATE - EVERY MEDAL, EVERY DAY ON GIANT SCREENS
- TOM JONES CONFIRMED FOR 28 JULY FREE DAY - MORE ARTISTS ANNOUNCED
- FUN FILLED, HAVE-A-GO-SPORTS FOR ALL AGES, OUTDOOR ARTS & EXCITING CULTURAL PERFORMANCES
- GUARANTEED ENTRY TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM 16 MAY
All eyes are on London as the greatest sporting show on earth hits the capital this summer. BT London Live is set to transform Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square into THE place to take part and celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The landmark venues play host to all the live sporting action on giant state of the art screens, plus fun filled sports activities, top class music, entertainment and more – and all for FREE.
From 27 July to 12 August in Victoria Park, 28 July to 11 August in Hyde Park, and 29 August to 9 September in Trafalgar Square, BT London Live welcomes Londoners and visitors alike to watch The Games beamed live into the venues and enjoy an exciting range of entertainment.
BT London Live has something for everyone, from a variety of different live music acts to watching the 100 metres final on a 160m2 screen, the 55m high BT Observation Wheel giving views of the Olympic Park, amazing outdoor spectacles, have-a-go sports, bungee trampolining, Zip Lines and Zorbing, plus al-fresco Sports Bars and much more. A great line up of artists are announced today, all presented by Absolute Radio & Magic 105.4. They include: The Cast of ‘We Will Rock You’, Feeder, Dodgy, The Levellers, Cast, Amy Macdonald, Paul Carrack and Kenny Thomas. For details of days they are performing go to: www.btlondonlive.com
Breaking News - the free to access days will kick off with a very special performance in Hyde Park by the legend, the voice – SIR TOM JONES. Tom will be on the main stage on Saturday 28 July 2012 at BT London Live.
Families with kids looking to try out new sports, Londoners wanting to catch up with the Games after a long day at work, or groups of friends wishing to catch their favourite music acts live – BT London Live will be the place to be in London during the Games.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "BT London Live is a fantastic way for hundreds of thousands of people to experience all the excitement and live action of the Games for free, and for those inspired by their Olympic and Paralympic heroes to try out different sports. We're planning an unprecedented number of events in every part of the capital and, combined with terrific entertainment at these three iconic locations, it really will be a summer like no other.
Linda Lennon, Chief Executive for The Royal Parks said: "The Royal Parks will host BT London Live in Hyde Park – where visitors can watch live Olympic action, take part in sports, and enjoy music and cultural performances. The summer of 2012 is going to be unforgettable and the atmosphere in Hyde Park and throughout the capital will be sensational.”
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman said: “We are delighted to be a part of BT London Live and as one of the host borough’s the excitement to the build up to the Games is palpable. BT London Live will enable Londoners and visitors to get closer to the Games and what better way to watch the events than outdoors on a massive screen in an iconic location like Victoria Park.”
Access to BT London Live Hyde Park and Victoria Park is FREE, just walk up and join the fun. There are a limited number of Guaranteed Entry Tickets available from 16 MAY for those who wish to ensure they don’t miss out on a particular day or their favourite sport. Pre-booked tickets for BT London Live provide guaranteed entry before 2pm. After 2pm, entry is on a first-come, first-served basis, but due to likely demand, may be subject to long queues. An order processing fee of £3.50 will be applied to each transaction of up to four Guaranteed Entry Tickets*. To secure your tickets and for more information about Guaranteed Entry, please go to www.btlondonlive.com. *Guaranteed Entry tickets are not available for BT London Live Trafalgar Square which offers walk in entry at all times, on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to capacity.
Visitors to BT London Live Hyde Park 28 July -11 August will get the chance to:
- Enjoy live music on the Main Stage from some of the UK’s best loved acts presented by Absolute Radio and Magic 105.4
- Have-a-go at your favourite sports including Tennis, Lacrosse, Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Cricket and many more delivered by Sport England and national sporting bodies
- Watch all the action from the London 2012 Games on 4 Giant Screens
- Catch up and coming live music acts on the Bandstand Stage
- Kick back with a drink after work in the al-fresco BT London Live Sports Bars
Visitors to BT London Live Victoria Park 27 July-12 August will get the chance to:
- Have-a-go on the multi purpose sports courts
- Enjoy entertainment on the Main Stage from Norman Jay and Friends, Club de Fromage, Courtney Pine, Sean Rowley’s Guilty Pleasures, Slow Club, Tom Vek, Sound of Latin London, and more
- Experience a first class view of the Olympic Park and the London skyline on the BT Observation Wheel, and sip champagne in a private gondola
- Zip down the 320m long, 45m high, 4 wire Zip Line
- Try your hand at Zorbing, by land or on water
- No matter what your age, have a go at Bungee trampolining
BT London Live Trafalgar Square 29 August to 9 September
Once the focus shifts to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, BT London Live will relocate to Trafalgar Square between 29th August – 9th September, where a giant screen will show live coverage courtesy of Channel 4. Entertainment and sporting activities at this iconic venue will be announced over the coming weeks.
Even more entertainment, sporting activities, arts and cultural programming and one-off activations will be announced over the coming weeks.
BT London Live is also hosting two Celebration Concerts in Hyde Park to coincide with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Duran Duran and Paolo Nutini will perform at the Opening Ceremony Celebration Concert on Friday 27 July, whilst Blur headline the Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert on Sunday 12 August, with special guests New Order and The Specials. For tickets and more information go to www.btlondonlive.com.
BT London Live, is a partnership between the Mayor of London, The Royal Parks and The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and a key part of the citywide programme of events being organised by the Mayor of London to celebrate the London 2012 Games. Throughout the Olympic Games.
As official radio stations for BT London Live Hyde Park, Absolute Radio (the official national radio station) will broadcast each day from Hyde Park between the 27th July and the 12th August with new presenter Johnny Vaughan at the heart of the action.
Johnny is hosting a daily show throughout the Games featuring interviews with comedians, presenters and Olympians with laugh-out-loud features on all the big events, the obscure sports, plus all the day’s talking points on and off the track, all accompanied by exclusive live music performances to celebrate the arrival of the ‘greatest show on earth’. Magic 105.4, the official London radio station of BT London Live, will also run a series of features reflecting the party atmosphere and musical talent expected each day on the site.
As exclusive radio partner for BT London Live Victoria Park, KISS will be working with the organisers to help programme the musical offering onsite with a wide range of live music, DJs, arts and cultural performances from 27th July to 12th August.
The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times are delighted to be the official print partners of BT London Live.
With their unrivalled heritage of getting the inside track on sport, The Times and The Sunday Times aim to be the definitive record of the Games and sit at the heart of celebrations surrounding London 2012. As the biggest-selling newspaper in the UK, The Sun will be using its huge influence, reach and scale to champion BT London Live and help make this a truly great Games for Britain.
Log on to www.btlondonlive.com for full details. For more information about other events being presented by the Mayor of London as part of the 2012 celebrations go to www.molpresents.com.
ENTRY TO BT LONDON LIVE
There are three options for entry into ‘BT London Live’:
- The Opening and Closing Ceremony Celebration Concerts at Hyde Park on July 27 and August 12 will be ticketed. Tickets will be available via btlondonlive.com.
- Walk in on the day – all BT London Live dates except the two Celebration Concerts in Hyde Park will offer free access, with people able to turn up on the day, subject to capacity. Hyde Park and Victoria Park will also offer 'Guaranteed Entry Tickets' for access before 2pm – see below.
- Guaranteed Entry Tickets – up to four tickets per person will be available to be booked, in advance, for entry into BT London Live Hyde Park or BT London Live Victoria Park, before 2pm, on a specified day. A transaction fee of £3.50 will apply per booking. Registration via btlondonlive.com will be required for these tickets. These tickets will not be available for the Opening and Closing Ceremony Celebration Concerts. Times of access will differ in Victoria Park on the days of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and at Hyde Park on Saturday 4 and Tuesday 7 August due to Triathlon events taking place in Hyde Park.
For further information regarding BT London Live please contact:
Ali Castriotis at LD Communications, E: [email protected] or
Kate Etteridge at LD Communications, E: [email protected] T: 0207 439 7222
Please send all accreditation requests to, E: [email protected]
For other information, please contact:
Ben McKnight at the Greater London Authority, E: [email protected] T: 020 7983 4071
Melanie Etches at The Royal Parks, E: [email protected] T: 0300 061 2055
Shalina Hussain at Tower Hamlets, E: [email protected] T: 020 7364 4754
BT Group Newsroom, T: 020 7356 5369. From outside the UK dial +44 20 7356 5369
Notes to editors
The Mayor of London is presenting a huge programme of free events and celebrations to add to the excitement of 2012, including ones especially commissioned for a citywide programme of free events that will add to and complement the London 2012 Festival. BT London Live brings live action from the Games and sporting activities and entertainment to Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square. Other events include Secrets, with artists and performers transforming hidden and lesser known locations, and Showtime, an outdoor arts festival in high streets, parks and open spaces around the capital. To be the first to know about what's happening in A Summer Like No Other, sign up or follow us at www.molpresents.com / www.facebook.com/mayoroflondonpresents / www.twitter.com/molpresents
The Royal Parks, which manages eight Royal Parks including Hyde Park, will play a central role in helping to deliver a successful London 2012 Games. In addition to hosting BT London Live Hyde Park, the largest BT London Live site, 11 Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place across six Royal Parks. These events include the Triathlon and Marathon Swimming competitions in Hyde Park, the Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon events in Greenwich Park and within St James’s Park, the Beach Volleyball competition on Horse Guards Parade and the Road Race events on The Mall.
Almost 40 million Londoners and tourists visit the eight Royal Parks each year. The 5,000 acres of historic parkland provide unparalleled opportunities for enjoyment, exploration and healthy living in the heart of London. The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James's Park. For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk or sign up at www.facebook.com/TheRoyalParksLondon.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets is the heart of the ‘East End’. Rich in history, it presents a vibrant mix of old and new, creating a bustling community unique in culture and character. Taking its name from the Tower of London and the hamlets that surround it, Tower Hamlets covers an area of eight square miles and has a population of around 220,000. It is bounded by the Thames to the South and the boroughs of Newham (east), Hackney (north) and the City of London (west).
As one of the six Olympic host boroughs, the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman and the council are looking to maximise the benefits that London 2012 will bring to the borough’s residents. Projects include the £11 million High Street 2012 programme which is rejuvenating the thoroughfare that links the city to the Olympic Park, and the promotion of Brick Lane as Curry Capital 2012 to generate tourism. Visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
About BT BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services, operating in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.
In the year ended 31 March 2011, BT Group’s revenue was £20,076 million with profit before taxation of £1,717 million.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt
About Absolute Radio Absolute Radio is a national, radio station for real fans of real music, comedy and football wrapped up with lashings of personality and mischief from DJs like Christian O’Connell, Frank Skinner, Dave Gorman, Geoff Lloyd, Ronnie Wood and Ian Wright who have the freedom to say what they think and tell it like it is.
Absolute Radio also runs a network of digital decade brands; Absolute Radio 60s, Absolute Radio 70s, Absolute 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Absolute Radio 00s, Absolute Classic Rock and Absolute Radio extra, the brand’s ‘red button’ service.
Listen on 105.8FM in London and the South-East, nationally on DAB or 1215AM at www.absoluteradio.co.uk as well as apps and digital TV.
Cat Macdonald T: 0207 432 3317 M: 07932 746363
About News International News International publishes The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun. In terms of growth, share, circulation and reader engagement, the Company’s titles are among the world’s most successful. Newsprinters prints the national titles and operates as a contract printing subsidiary for the three state of the art printing plants. Further brands which are part of the group include the Times Literary Supplement and milkround.co.uk. The News International group has an investment in fashion website BrandAlley.co.uk. In 2007, News International became the UK’s first carbon neutral newspaper publisher. This was achieved by increasing energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy and combined heat and power and purchasing high quality offsets.
Dan McMillan T: 020 7782 6190 M: 07887 627716