The Los Angeles 2024 Olympic Bid Committee 2024 unveiled what is labeled a “groundbreaking citywide ceremonies concept,” with the new NFL Stadium and Memorial Coliseum set to be the centerpieces of captivating in-stadium, citywide and global television events.
“Using two iconic Los Angeles venues, LA 2024 will create a citywide cultural spectacle combining timeless Olympic traditions and cutting edge entertainment, fitting its ambition to create a New Games for a New Era,” said a LA 2024 press release, with IOC Executive Board Member and LA 2024’s Senior Advisor for Legacy Anita DeFrantz stating: “LA 2024’s Opening and Closing Ceremonies concept will bring together our city’s Olympic heritage, our iconic and state-of-the-art venues and our leadership in entertainment, technology and youth culture. Our Ceremonies will capture the imagination of fans across America and around the globe. As an athlete, knowing that the eyes of the world are on you is incredibly inspiring.”
Detailing plans for the 2014 opening and closing ceremonies, LA 2024 added: “On July 19, 2024, LA 2024’s proposed Opening Ceremony will begin with a torch relay down the peristyle of the LA Memorial Coliseum, which will be filled with 70,000 spectators for a Hollywood-produced program of live entertainment, top musical performances and a live viewing and virtual-reality experience of all Ceremony events at the LA Stadium at Hollywood Park. The Torch Relay will proceed past iconic landmarks on the streets of Los Angeles, connecting the city’s diverse neighborhoods, until it reaches the new LA Stadium at Hollywood Park.
“Simultaneously, up to 100,000 spectators at the new LA Stadium at Hollywood Park will witness a breathtaking celebration of sport and the Olympic Movement, drawing on LA’s extraordinary capacity as the global hub of entertainment. The LA Stadium at Hollywood Park will stage the formal Opening Ceremony elements, including the Parade of Nations, the Olympic Oaths, the official opening of the Games and the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron. On August 4, 2024, the LA Memorial Coliseum will host the formal elements of the Closing Ceremony, including the Parade of Athletes, the Olympic Flag Handover and the extinguishing of the cauldron, a fitting location as LA closes the next chapter in its rich Olympic storybook. The new LA Stadium at Hollywood Park will simultaneously host spectators for live viewing and high-tech entertainment.”
This story first appeared in the blog, The Sport Intern. The editor is Karl-Heinz Huba of Lorsch, Germany. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com. The article is reprinted here with permission of Huba.