Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay
Watch the Olympic Torch pass through London this April on its way to Beijing!
London will welcome the Olympic Flame this April as part of the global Olympic Torch Relay in the run up to the Beijing Olympic Games.
On Sunday 6th April the Beijing 2008 Olympic torch will arrive in Wembley Stadium, home of the British 1948 Olympic Games, and begin its tour across London passing some of the Capital's most iconic landmarks and will finish up at the Dome North Greenwich.
The worldwide Beijing Olympic Torch Relay, will go to twenty two cities, on five continents, and every province in China, before arriving back in Beijing for the start of the 2008 Olympic Games on 8th August. Olympic heroes and hopefuls, stars of stage and screen will join young Londoner's to carry the Olympic Torch through ten London boroughs. Double Olympic gold medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes, broadcaster Sir Trevor McDonald, Vanessa Mae, Ellen MacArthur, Steve Cram, Keven Pieterson, Tim Henman, Konnie Huq, Kenny Logan, Denise Van Outen, Theo Walcott, Zoe Salmon and actress Amara Karan, recently in the films, 'The Darjeeling Limited' and 'St Trinian's', will be amongst the 80 torchbearers.
Londoners are encouraged to line the route across the capital to enjoy local free entertainment and to cheer on the torchbearers as they carry the Olympic Flame through Notting Hill, Marble Arch, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square, the South Bank, the City and East London before it reaches North Greenwich where the day will culminate in a free, ticketed event featuring a performance from the Sugababes.
The Olympic Torch will be making stop at the Southbank Centre on its travels around London. The Southbank Centre will host a special outdoor event welcoming the Torch to London en route to
the Beijing Olympics 2008. Visitors are invited to head down for 2pm and listen to young people celebrate
through song from every terrace and balcony.
Key route timings are as follows:
10:30 - Wembley - International dancers on stage at Arena Square in Brent, outside Wembley Stadium
11:00 - Ladbroke Grove - A mini-carnival will be held with entertainers in Carnival Masquerade costumes performing to SOCA music
11:20 - Notting Hill Gate - Carnival del Pueblo - a Latino Carnival band evoking the carnival feeling
12:00 - Oxford Street - Open-top bus along Oxford Street featuring celebrity torchbearer
12:20 - British Museum - A fanfare will be re-constructed with ancient Greek trumpets in the iconic Great Court
12:30 - China Town - Performances will include costumed dragons and lions under Chinese decorations and lanterns on Gerrard Street
12:40 - Piccadilly Circus - Convoy passes
12:50 - Trafalgar Square - A dance spectacular will take place in front of Nelson's column to the accompaniment of a brass fanfare
13:30 - Southbank Centre - A spectacular welcome for the torch along the front terraces of the Royal Festival Hall with a choir of 600, Kathak, poetry, circus, hip-hop and beatboxing
14:15 - Somerset House - Aletta Collins has been commissioned to choreograph a unique dance piece that will be accompanied by music from the Bollywood Brass Band
14.30 - St Paul's Cathedral - On the steps the Band of the Scots Guards will welcome the flame with fanfares and music.
15:00 - Potter's Field / More London - Rhythms of the City and live drumming sessions will raise the atmosphere and continue the carnival spirit
15:30 - Whitechapel Road - Performances from Kinetika, spectacular and flamboyant street theatre, storytelling, costumes and dance
16:00 - Stratford - A world-themed carnival will unfurl with 300 school children, 50 spectacular carnival costumes and nine music floats. An aerial performance will take place at Theatre Square
17:00 - Canary Wharf - A carnival themed entertainment including acrobats, jugglers, stilt-walkers, street theatre, music shows, dance performances, face painters, children's workshops and treasure hunts
18:00 - Greenwich - The grand finale - a free, ticketed event will be a fusion of East meets West, the contemporary and traditional, in a dynamic and theatrical display of Chinese ribbon dancers, an exciting electro-acoustic music act, gymnasts, pyro displays and a special performance from the Sugababes
Find out more about the Olympic Torch Relay.
