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Opera House to host Olympic gala
Matthew Beard, Evening Standard23 May 2008
The Royal Opera House has been chosen for a key role in the London Olympics.
It will host the prestigious opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee's annual meeting in
2012. A cultural extravaganza-will be served up at the gala evening to an audience comprising the 100-plus delegation of the International Olympic Committee, heads of state, sporting greats and royalty.
As one of the most prestigious occasions of the Games, the gala serves as a party to celebrate the annual coming together of the IOC before they get down to business.
The following day the IOC will convene its annual meeting - known a s t h e " s e s s ion" - expected to be in the conference suite of the Hilton hotel on Park Lane. Several days later the VIPs will attend the opening ceremony in the Olympic stadium in Stratford.
Proposals for the Covent Garden event were approved by the IOC's inspection team which yesterday completed a three-day trip to London.
Bosses at the ROH were so keen to host the event that they offered the venue free of charge. The ROH was inspected earlier this year for suitability before being chosen from a shortlist which also included the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall.
The ROH hosted the formal launch of London's Olympic bid in May 2003 when the then prime minister Tony Blair took to the stage with former mayor Ken Livingstone in their first public reconciliation after the latter left the Labour Party.
