A few ideas for those who don't want to spend hundred's of pounds, but still want to get involved with the Olympic spirit!!
With the Olympics fast approaching many people want to get involved in the Games (without paying hundreds of pounds to watch an event). So we have come up with a list of cheap and free activities to do in London to help you feel a part of the Olympics.
Torch Relay:The Olympic Flame is finally here and is making its way around the UK – gather up everyone you know and Line the Streets to show your support. It’s one of the most iconic symbols of the Olympics. Going and watching the Torch Relay is a must to all locals as they probably won’t ever get the chance to ever witness this event again in their hometown.
Peninsula Festival: Head down to Peninsula Festival London event to watch the Olympics on the big screens and enjoy live music, sports and more during the Games. The Greenwich Peninsula will be hosting a mix of free and ticketed events, with the huge Area 12 site open to the public every day of the festival. If you’re worried about missing an event don’t be, because at the Peninsula Festival London event there’s free access to big screens which will be showing live BBC coverage of London 2012. During breaks in play you can hop on a funfair ride or enjoy the performances from street entertainers and a marching band.
Victoria Park:Victoria Park is situated in the East of London not too far from the Olympic Park. During the Olympics this place will be buzzing with excitement and hopefully if it’s a nice day why not bring a couple of footballs and have a mini tournament in the park with your mates as you have lunch, have some beers and watch the Olympics on the big screens.
Park Live:Park Live is an area featuring giant screens and picnic lawns for up to 10,000 fans at a time. Situated in the lawned area between the Riverbank Arena and Copper Box on one side of the River Lea, and the Velodrome and Basketball Arena on the other, these giant screens seem to ‘float’ on the river. It is open for the public to visit before and after sporting events on the Olympic Park, the venue will be set within the newly created Parklands, which provides new green space for people and wildlife. The best way to enjoy this facility would be to grab a snack or some lunch, relax on the grass and enjoy the best of the live sporting action happening inside London 2012 venues.
Olympic Events:If you have missed out on tickets to an event, there’s still a chance of attending one for free! There are various events which take place on public roads (which will be blocked off) which members of the public are more than welcome to watch. Events include the marathons which are on the 5th and 12th of August, the Road Cycling on the 28th, 29th of July and 1st of August, the Race Walk on the 4th and 11th of August and the cycling element of the Triathlon on the 4th and 7th of August.
The British Museum:For those interested in Olympic history the British Museum are displaying the Olympic medals that were handed out at the 1908 and 1948 games which were held in London, as well as the 1960 and 1984 Paralympics.
The Olympic Site:For those prepared to fork out £9 you can take a tour around the Olympic site. Daily Olympic Walks start at Bromley-by-Bow underground station and finishe at Westfield shopping centre. The route taken is mainly off the road, much of it along a path in the former industrial Lower Lea Valley. Your guide will then lead you to a footpath which goes alongside the Olympic park perimeter fence. From here there are views of the Olympic stadium and other 2012 constructions such as the Aquatics Centre and The Orbit. You will hear the latest on the athletes and the venues, but crucial to London’s successful 2005 bid for the games was the legacy, so you will also learn about the plans for the future of the site and the venues after 2012. This has been a massive project, reclaiming 2.5 sq. kilometres of contaminated land and transforming it into a place where people will want to visit and live. It goes for 2 hours and is 1.5 -2 miles long.
Hyde Park:The Olympic festival at Hyde Park is your opportunity to take part in the once in a lifetime celebration and experience the great atmosphere that’s accompanying the London 2012 Olympic Games. Huge outdoor screens showing action from inside the Olympic stadium and other sites will be displayed in Hyde Park so you can join the public in cheering on your country. The Olympic festival at Hyde Park also includes a number of live performances and on-site special events. The entertainment includes music concerts, cultural performances and exhibitions that showcase the best of London and UK talent. And best of all its free. Tickets may be bought to guarantee entry and some special events require fee paying tickets, which include the 2 Celebration concerts on the 27th of July and 12th of August featuring Duran and Duran on the 27th.
During the Olympics there will be the Women’s and Men’s Olympic 10km swim in the Serpentine River which runs through Hyde Park. Sitting in the grandstand requires a ticket, but the majority will opt to have a free view from the south side of the river. The events are on the 9th and 10th of August respectively at 12pm, and will last for 2 hours as the athletes swim 6 laps of the chilly water of the Serpentine River. 25 of the best long distance swimmers will compete in this event. A free event to attend, so why not grab a couple of beers and come down on and watch this event.
Olympic Park:What’s a better way to soak up the Olympic atmosphere than a visit to the Olympic Park. Hop on the jubilee line and get there in a few minutes from London Bridge. The Olympic Park is definitely a must for everyone to visit at least once. The innovative Coca‑Cola Beat Box, will enable people to ‘play’ the Pavilion through interacting with sounds embedded within the architecture of the building. Visitors will be able to create their own beat for London 2012 by remixing the sounds of Olympic sports, captured by Grammy award-winning music producer Mark Ronson as he travelled the globe to create “Anywhere In The World”, Coca‑Cola’s song for London 2012.
Other activities around the Olympic site include the BP. Fuelling the Future (interactive experience), the Acer Journey (interactive experience), and the Samsung Mobile Live PIN (interactive experience). And what’s a trip to the Olympic site without visiting the London 2012 Megastore – everyone loves a megastore. The Orbit is an opportunity for many people to see the Olympic Park from a different view. Standing 115 metres high, the Orbit is the tallest art structure in Britain – offering stunning views over the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park and the whole of London. Tickets can be purchased for £15. The whole of the Park will be designed to make sure that visitors always feel part of the Games, whether they are watching the sport competitions, walking along the river bank or sitting in front of one of the big screens watching events.