CLIENT
London 2012 Ceremonies Ltd
LOCATION
London, United Kingdom
YEAR
2012
PROJECT TYPE
Major Event Ceremonies – Olympic & Paralympic Games
Scope
Complete audio design and delivery for four global broadcast ceremonies
Services Provided
- →Loudspeaker system design
- →Audio control and distribution system design
- →Replay system configuration
- →Technical management and commissioning
- →On-site engineering support and team leadership
The Brief
London made history as the first city to host the Olympic Games three times. The London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremonies for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games set out to redefine what a global audience could expect from live broadcast events, blending cultural celebration, world-class music, and intricate theatricality in front of a global audience of billions.
Auditoria were brought in to design and deliver a full audio system that could meet the artistic, logistical, and technical demands of these unprecedented productions, each unique in character, yet equally ambitious in scale.
The Challenge
From intimate musical moments to bombastic show openers, every detail of the ceremonies’ audio needed to be faithfully delivered to both the live audience and broadcast viewers around the world. Our brief was beyond that of coverage, it was to deliver sound that carried emotion, energy and detail, enhancing the experience in a dynamic, immersive environment.
Key challenges included:
- Integrating an extensive audio system within an athletics stadium still functioning as a sports venue during the Games
- Ensuring absolute reliability, with full redundancy across all critical systems
- Seamlessly transitioning between ceremony elements, including live performances, sound effects, pre-recorded music, and sports competition
- Supporting a cast of thousands and performances from some of the world’s most iconic musicians
Our Approach
Our design philosophy centred on three core pillars: consistency, resilience, and flexibility. We knew the systems had to withstand months of rehearsals and performances, often in tough weather conditions.
We collaborated closely with Wonder Works and the technical production team to ensure our systems would be fully integrated into the wider infrastructure. From rehearsal sites to stadium rigging points, every detail was planned and modelled.
Multiple listening and verification stages were built into our workflow, and dual-redundant systems were employed across every core element, from signal transport to audio replay.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
Loudspeaker System
- 22 flown arrays of L-Acoustics V-DOSC, each with ARCS II down-fills for lower bowl coverage
- 22 ground-stacked arrays of L-Acoustics KUDO with SB28 subwoofers
- Ground systems were removed during athletics events, with flown arrays covering the void seamlessly
Audio Control System
- Fully dual-redundant signal transport, based on an Optocore digital network with analogue backup
- 16 remote field nodes distributed around the stadium for local I/O to flown arrays and field-of-play systems
Show Control Design
Replay System
- Dual-redundant Merging Technologies Pyramix platforms
- Independent word clock universes for full system failover capability
- Audio replay delivered via MADI to both FOH and broadcast using DirectOut SRCs for synchronisation and isolation
The Results
The ceremonies were widely praised not only for their creative impact but also for their flawless technical execution. The sound quality throughout the stadium was powerful, articulate, and immersive, supporting live vocals, large-scale orchestral stems, spoken word, and playback content.
Our robust design ensured that even with the most complex show elements, quick scene changes, surprise appearances, and dynamic crowd noise, the system remained reliable, adaptable, and transparent.
The audio for London 2012 set a new standard for large-scale ceremonies and has since influenced design and delivery approaches for major events worldwide.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
We’re grateful to Catherine Ugwu (Executive Producer) and Piers Shepperd (Technical Director) for bringing us on board and leading an extraordinary production team through four unforgettable ceremonies.
Our Team
Audio design was led by Scott Willsallen in collaboration with Bobby Aitken. The on-site team included Richard Sharratt (FOH), Steve Watson (Monitors), Trevor Beck (Replay), and Andy Rose and Steve Williams on Broadcast audio.
Our Supplier
Lead audio supply by Delta Sound, supported by Norwest Productions and Autograph. The integration was overseen by Steve Lutley and Paul Keating of Delta Sound.
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