The opening ceremony was held on 27 July and called "Isles of Wonder".[126] Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was its artistic director, with music direction by Rick Smith of
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The opening ceremony was held on 27 July and called "Isles of Wonder".[126] Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was its artistic director, with music direction by Rick Smith of Underworld.[127]
The Games were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[128] It was the second Games the Queen had opened personally, the first being in 1976 in Montreal.
The ceremony included a short comic film starring Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and the Queen as herself,[129] and another starring Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean.
Live musical performers included Frank Turner, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Mike Oldfield, the London Symphony Orchestra, Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys, and Sir Paul McCartney who performed "Hey Jude" as the closing act.[130][131]
The ceremony transmitted live on BBC One attracted a peak viewing audience of over 27 million in the UK (about half of the population).[132]
