Venues – Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium will host the Athletics and Paralympic Athletics events at the London 2012 Games, as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Key facts
Sport: Athletics, Paralympic Athletics
Location: In the south of the Olympic Park
New or existing: New
Permanent or temporary: Permanent
About the Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium will have a capacity of 80,000 during the Games: 25,000 permanent seats in its permanent lower tier and a lightweight steel and concrete upper tier holding a further 55,000 spectators. The upper tier can be dismantled after the Games.
During the Games
The Olympic Stadium will be located in the south of the Olympic Park on an ‘island’ site, surrounded by waterways on three sides. Spectators will reach the venue via five bridges that link the site to the surrounding area.
Facilities for athletes within the Stadium include changing rooms, medical support facilities and an 80m warm-up track. Spectator services, refreshments and merchandise outlets will be located outside the venue on a ‘podium’ that will surround the Stadium, rather than being located within the Stadium itself.
After the Games
After the Games, the Stadium can be scaled back to 25,000 seats as required. It will be a venue for athletics and host other sporting, cultural and community events.
On February 11 2011, the Olympic Park Legacy Committee selected West Ham United of the English Premier League as the preferred bidder to take over the stadium after the Games.
