#London2012 ends with a party

LONDON, United Kingdom – The London 2012 Games bade farewell Sunday, August 12 (August 13 in Manila) with a giant singalong party, bringing the curtain down in spectacular style on an Olympics that radiated the feel-good factor all-throughout.

The closing ceremony, entitled “A Symphony of British Music,” was a celebration of Britain’s pop prowess, with John Lennon, Queen, Take That and the Spice Girls getting the Olympic Stadium rocking underneath a blaze of fireworks.

Thousands of athletes who entertained the world during the London Games craned to take pictures of George Michael and Fatboy Slim performing at the center of a giant stage in the shape of Britain’s Union Jack flag.

Meanwhile, the pumped-up 80,000-strong crowd got into the party atmosphere, singing along in full volume as waves of color swept around the bowl on the pixel screens in front of each seat.

The Olympic flame was slowly extinguished with tangible sadness in the stadium, but the feeling lasted only seconds before legendary mod band The Who blasted the blues away with a final salvo of thunderous mod music (“Baba o’Riley” and “My Generation”) and dazzling pyrotechnics.

“After 16 days of competition, we wanted to host a celebration of all that’s good about London, British people, our music and our culture,” Kim Gavin, the show’s artistic director, said beforehand.

More than 300 million people would be watching around the world, the audience was told.

The 3-hour spectacle began with New-Year-style Big Ben chimes counting down to 9:00pm (2000 GMT).

In his biggest role to date, 27-year-old Prince Harry, 3rd in line to the throne, represented Queen Elizabeth II at the show.

1980s band Madness kicked off the mass singalong with their hit “Our House” before The Kinks’ frontman Ray Davies played his London love song “Waterloo Sunset” with the crowd on backing vocals.

While a chosen athlete carried each national flag into the stadium, the competitors streamed in as one, some wearing their medals and others taking souvenir pictures as they formed the wedges in the Union Jack.

There was one final well-respected medal ceremony — that for Sunday’s men’s marathon, won by Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich.

A hallmark of the London Games has been the enthusiastic warmth shown to athletes regardless of nationality.

Annie Lennox appeared as the figurehead of a ghost galleon; DJ Fatboy Slim performed on a psychedelic camper van that turned into a blow-up octopus.

The Spice Girls sang a medley of their hits while riding around the stadium on top of London black cabs, before Oasis star Liam Gallagher had the crowd waving their arms with the 1990s classic “Wonderwall.”

After seemingly failing as a human cannonball, Monty Python comedian Eric Idle performed “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from the musical “Spamelot.”

The late Queen singer Freddie Mercury then appeared on the screens to conduct the crowd, before the band emerged, getting the stadium thumping to “We Will Rock You” sung by Jessie J.

As the 2012 Games came to a close, London Mayor Boris Johnson handed over the Olympic flag to Eduardo Paes, the mayor of 2016 host Rio de Janeiro.

Led by football legend Pele, the Brazilian city then gave a taste of the carnival the world can expect in 4 years’ time.

“When our time came, Britain, we did it right,” said London Games organizer Sebastian Coe. “The spirit of these Olympics will inspire a generation.”

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge added: “These were happy and glorious Games,” before saying: “I declare the Games of the 30th Olympiad closed.”

As a phoenix rose above the cauldron, which opened like a flower, Take That performed “Rule the World” beneath a cascade of fireworks.

It was finally extinguished with a sad “ah” from the crowd, before The Who rounded off the night.

Spectator Jonathan Mann, 51, said: “I have been absolutely blown away by the whole of the Olympics. The whole spirit of the country has been fantastic. It’s been absolutely incredible.” – Robin Millard, Agence France-Presse

Rappler live-blogged and live-tweeted as the #London2012 #Olympics #ClosingCeremony happened. Read our minute-by-minute account here.