London: Plans were unveiled today to enable thousands of spectators to cheer on live sporting action in the Olympic Park, hear from medal winning athletes and enjoy a picnic on the new riverside lawns at Park Live Presented by British Airways, right in the heart of the Olympic Park.
The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has teamed up with official airline partner British Airways to create a dedicated area for up to 10,000 fans at a time with giant screens and picnic lawns in acres of newly created parklands in the Olympic Park. ‘BA Hosts’, made up of volunteers from the airline and their families, will also be on hand to help visitors.
At the heart of the plans for Park Live is a giant double-sided screen in the River Lea broadcasting live London 2012 coverage. Sitting in a newly created natural amphitheatre, Park Live plans to offer a host of entertainment including interviews with athletes on the British Airways presentation stage, allowing fans to hear first-hand from medal-winning athletes and other stars, and short films on the creation of the parklands.
British Airways managing director of brands and customer experience Frank van der Post, said: ‘Park Live Presented by British Airways will be the place for fans to go, cheer on Team GB and ParalympicsGB and give them some home support. It will be open to all guests on the Olympic Park before or after they’ve watched an event, or simply as a destination in itself. We’re looking forward to offering a great experience and dedicated area to watch all the action live.’
Park Live will be set in the centre of the wetland bowl, within the newly created 250 acre parklands, which provides new green space for people and wildlife as well as spectacular views of the Olympic Park venues and London landmarks. It features riverside spectator lawns, timber seating, frog ponds, loggeries, wildflower meadows, woodlands, tree-lined footpaths and reed beds with over 30 species of native reeds, rushes, wet wildflowers and irises.
Park Live will be open from early morning to late evening for spectators to visit before and after sporting events on the Olympic Park. LOCOG has also outlined its ambition to offer general Park tickets, enabling people to come into the Olympic Park without tickets for sporting events.