Olympic Closer Hit Parade Has The Who, Spice Girls

Gavin – who has directed rock tours and London’s 2007 Princess Diana memorial concert – said Saturday he wants the spectacular to be “the best after-show party that’s ever been.”

“If the opening ceremony was the wedding, then we’re the wedding reception,” music director David Arnold told the Daily Telegraph.

Although organizers have tried to keep the ceremony under wraps, many details have leaked out in the British media – and some performers have let the cat out of the bag themselves.

Thousands of athletes from 204 competing nations will march in and become a standing, milling audience – Gavin dubbed them the “mosh pit” – for the main section of the show, “A Symphony of British Music.”

Details of the performers have emerged through tips and photos coming out of the rehearsal venue, an old car plant in east London. While creators of the opening ceremony could rehearse for weeks inside the stadium, Gavin and his team have less than a day between the end of track and field competition and Sunday’s ceremony.

Gavin said he had 17 hours to get a show that involves multiple sets, pyrotechnics and 3,500 volunteer performers “from a car park to here.”

The Spice Girls were photographed dancing atop black London taxis, so a rendition of their biggest hit, “Wannabe,” seems likely.

So does an appearance by surviving members of Queen, whose “We Will Rock You” has been ever-present at the games.

Gavin would not say whether he had failed to secure any acts he had hoped to book – though he said two who initially said no changed their mind after seeing the spectacular opening ceremony on July 27.

“There was no room,” he said – but would not let slip the names involved.

Gavin said the lineup was driven by the songs – a hit parade of pop classics – more than by the artists.

“It was more important the song made the set list, or the creative idea,” Gavin said. “If the artist wasn’t available, we asked someone else.”

Like the Olympic opening ceremony, the closer will showcase British icons and British creativity. The Daily Mail newspaper published photographs of what it said was the ceremony’s set, involving reconstructions of London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge.

“It’s not anything desperately profound,” London games chief Sebastian Coe said Saturday. “It’s not the opening ceremony but I think it will be great. It’s basically a tribute to British music over the last few decades. It’s fun.”

There will also be an eight-minute section of song and dance created by the next Summer Games host country, Brazil. Expect samba, colorful costumes and some 300 performers, including supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio.

And of course there will be ceremonial elements, including the raising of the flags of Greece – birthplace of the Olympics– current host Britain and 2016 games host Brazil. Dignitaries’ speeches – “which hopefully will be nice and brief,” Gavin said – will be followed by the extinguishing of the Olympic cauldron, marking the handover of the games to Rio.

As with director Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony, London is aiming for a plucky, irreverent tone far removed from Beijing’s 2008 Olympic closer, which was heavy on precision fireworks, acrobatics and dancing.