Worcestershire Tourist Guide - Articles

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY

OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY
The Olympic flame will arrive in the UK from Greece on 18th May 2012 and the 70-day relay will start from Land's End in Cornwall, with about 8,000 torchbearers.

Worcester has been chosen to host the Olympic torch on 24th May 2012 as it journeys across the UK in the run-up to the 2012 London Games.

An Olympic torchbearer will arrive in Worcester on Thursday 24th May 2012. The torch will remain in the city overnight, while Worcester celebrates with an impressive community event which will showcase local talent, culture and heritage.

Worcester is one of 66 Evening Celebration locations across the UK confirmed by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).
The evening events will offer thousands of people the opportunity to come together and get involved in celebrations and share in the Olympic spirit. As part of the events LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung, will stage exciting entertainment shows where a cauldron will be lit from the Olympic Flame, marking the end of the day’s proceedings.

As well as Worcester the torch will also pass through Birmingham, Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent on the West Midlands leg of its journey.

The Torch will arrive in Worcestershire on the 24th May from Herefordshire, calling at Far Forest, Callow Hill, Bewdley, Kidderminster, Droitwich Spa, and Fernhill Heath before arriving at Worcester City for the Evening Celebration.

The following day 25th May the torch will be leaving for Wales but not before being carried through Worcester City, Powick, Malvern and Malvern Wells.

The torch will then come back to Worcestershire for another visit on the 1st July after leaving Birmingham City Centre it will head towards Redditch, Astwood Bank, Evesham, Wickhamford and Broadway before heading through Stratford Upon Avon to Coventry.

The Olympic Flame will arrive at the Olympic Stadium on 27th July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

More information on the Olympic Torch Relay, the route and local torchbearers is available now london 2012.com/olympictorchrelay

EVENING CELEBRATION
Worcestershire County Cricket Club - New Road will be the venue for the Evening Celebration of the Olympic Torch Relay for its visit to Worcester on 24th May 2012.

New Road is best known as a cricket ground but the venue has hosted an outdoor concert by Elton John and a service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie in the past.

A spectacular celebration will feature live music, a fabulous light show and the history of the city being brought to life in a performance by a 1000-strong community choir.

The celebrations will come to a thrilling climax with the lighting of a giant cauldron after the arrival of the Olympic Torch at the end of its journey through Worcester.

TICKETS
A ballot to get hold of free tickets to the celebration will open on Monday April 2nd with preference given to people with a Worcestershire postcode.

The tickets are not being allocated on a first come first served basis so people have right up until 6pm on April 20 to register. Everyone who is successful in the ballot can nominate up to seven guests to accompany them to the party.

Gates at the cricket ground will open at 4pm and all guests will be asked to arrive no later than 5pm. The performance begins at 5.30pm and will be over by 8pm.

People have to be 18 or over to apply for tickets at www.visitworcester.com/torch/tickets and those successful will be notified by the end of April.

Tickets will be available for collection from the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) from April 28.

For more information on the ballot call 01905 363935.

Ticket registration for free tickets to the Worcester Evening Celebration has now CLOSED .

However, if you would like to join the waiting list for any returned tickets please go to www.visitworcester.com/torch/tickets
Any returned tickets will be allocated by ballot if over subscribed.