Searchlights illuminate the Olympic Stadium in London during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony on Friday. Volunteers who took part in the run-through described the secrecy-shrouded rehearsal as beyond their “wildest expectations.”
Organizing the Olympics is estimated to cost British taxpayers $14.4 billion.
Games volunteers and troops were given tickets to the final run-through as a thank-you for their efforts, while members of the 15,000-strong cast were able to reserve tickets for friends and family.
The theme of the $42-million spectacular is “Isles of Wonder,” inspired by a passage from William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest.” The show is set to be watched by a vast global television audience
