Oxford's London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Celebration & The Tree of Light

The Olympic Flame is coming to Oxford on 9-10 July 2012 to showcase the rich cultural and sporting heritage in the city as well as to celebrate the birthplace of the four minute mile by Sir Roger Bannister.  

The evening event to be held at South Park on Monday 9 July 2012, with more details yet to be confirmed, will be an opportunity for the city to entertain residents with a fun filled family celebration, including a performance of the Tree of Light.

Oxford is one of 66 Evening Celebration locations and six Island Visits across the UK confirmed by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). 

The evening events will offer thousands of people the opportunity to come together and get involved in celebrations and share in the Olympic spirit.  As part of the events LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung, will stage exciting entertainment shows.

The Olympic Flame will arrive in the UK from Greece on Friday 18 May 2012 and the 70 day Torch Relay will start at Land's End, Cornwall on the morning of the 19 May 2012.  On leaving Land's End, the Olympic Flame will travel an estimated 8,000 miles across the UK, giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympic Flame comes to their doorstep. The Olympic Flame will arrive at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, says: "I am delighted that Oxford will be hosting the Torch Relay and holding an Evening Celebration. It is likely to be  once in our lifetime that we see the Olympics held in our country so we need to make the most of it and not everyone will be luckily enough to watch a live event.  Beyond being a great sporting and cultural festival the Olympics will help to increase tourism and bolster the local economy."

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG said: "We are thrilled that Oxford City Council has agreed to host the Olympic Flame on its journey right across the UK.  The Olympic Flame will shine a light right across Oxford, celebrating the culture and heritage of the area and showcasing the very best of Oxford.  We have no doubt that the welcome Oxford City Council will provide will demonstrate how the spirit of the Olympic Games is reaching out across the UK and excitement builds as the start of the 2012 Games draws closer."

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Your moment to shine

Between 19 May and 27 July 2012, the Olympic Flame will travel through more than 1,000 of our villages, towns and cities. It will pass within 10 miles of 95% of people in the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.

Let's get out and celebrate. Pull on your trainers and paint your face gold. As a Local Leader, it's time to rally your mates and bring your community together.

Download the document below for inspiration on what to do to help make the event one to remember:

Line the Streets - ideas for celebrating the Torch Relay (PDF)

Road Closures in Oxfordshire

A lists all roads in Oxfordshire that will be affected due to the torch relay can be downloaded below:

Road closure notice (150kB PDF)

Olympic Flame Route in Oxford - 9-10 July 2012

Communities from Blackbird Leys, Cowley Road, and St Clement's will be able to watch the Olympic Flame as it travels through Oxford.

People from across Oxford will be able to welcome the Olympic Flame to the streets and celebrate the achievements of the inspirational Torchbearers carrying the Flame in their community.

The streets along the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay, which can be viewed in full on the London 2012 website, gives street-by-street details and proposed start times for when the Olympic Flame will travel through Oxford. Residents living in and around Oxford can find out when it will be travelling along their nearest high street or past their local shops.  

Route Day 52 - Monday 9 July 2012

• B480 Watlington Road
• Cuddeson Way
• Blackbird Leys Road
• Barns Road
• B4495 Between Towns Road
• B480 Oxford Road
• B480 Cowley Road
• A420 St Clement's Street
• Morrell Avenue
• South Park - evening celebration

See route map

Route Day 53 - Tuesday 10 July 2012

• Iffley Road
• Donnington Bridge

See route map

Torchbearers

The Olympic Flame will be carried across the UK by 8,000 Torchbearers.

An average of 115 Torchbearers a day will carry the Olympic Flame during its 8,000 mile journey around the UK before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

LOCOG has worked closely with representatives from a number of sectors in each Nation and Region of the UK to devise the route and is taking the Olympic Flame to within ten miles of over 95% of the population.

The Torchbearers confirmed to carry the Flame in Oxford include those that were successful through the public nomination processes run by LOCOG and the Presenting Partners, Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung. LOCOG has endeavoured to slot all community Torchbearers within an hour of their nomination address so family and friends can cheer them on. Each Torchbearer will wear a white and gold uniform which been designed by adidas.

Councillor Bob Price, Leader of Oxford City Council, says: "The Olympic Flame will be going through Blackbird Leys, the Cowley Road and St Clement's, before finishing at South Park for the evening celebration.

"It will mean that the residents and people from the surrounding communities will be able to witness the spectacle of the Olympic Torch Relay.

"I would encourage people to come out and line the streets and bring the route to life as well as welcoming the inspirational torchbearers into our community.

"This really is a once in a lifetime moment and I would encourage people to come out onto the streets or join us at South Park for the evening celebration,"

Christine Carter, from Old Marston, will be one of the torchbearers in Oxford.

The 85-year-old was a volunteer at the Oxsrad Sport for All Centre which encourages disabled and able sports people to train together.

She has helped run car boot sales from the site as well as helping to run the café and lending a hand to set up fetes at the site.  

Christine has also helped run the weekly Oxford Town Hall tea dances as well as making the teas. The tea dance raises funds for the Oxford Town Hall Old People's Christmas Parties, entertaining hundreds of pensioners, treating them to a Christmas Dinner, dancing and a free raffle with prizes donated by local businesses.

Christine, says: "I am shocked that I have been selected to carry the torch in Oxford. I don't feel like I have done anything special to deserve it. I am sure once it sinks in I will be really excited about it.

"I am a bit nervous about being on the streets with everyone waving and watching me. I am not getting any younger so running with the torch will be a bit of a challenge."

Eveninig Event at South Park - Monday 9 July 2012

When the Flame arrives in Oxford, Oxford City Council is working with LOCOG and the three Presenting Partners of the Relay - Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung - to host an evening celebration to celebrate the Olympic Flame.  The event at South Park will feature locally programmed content. Details of the run of show will be released nearer the time.

The evening event includes The Tree of Light, one of four epic performances that will take place across the Thames Valley this summer. The culmination of a spectacular and ground breaking two year arts project, the performance will bring together 600 singers, dancers and power-generating cyclists from school and community groups across Oxfordshire. Staged around a central 'Tree of Light' - a monumental sculpted work created by cutting edge set design duo Block9 - the hour long performance promises to be a visual and sonic feast for the senses.

The Tree of Light is part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic movements. The project is funded by the Legacy Trust UK, which creates a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK. For more information visit the Tree of Light website.

Stallholders at Olympic Torch Event

Visit our Stallholders page for details of how to apply to be a stallholder at the Olympic Torch Event in South Park on 9 July 2012.

School Resources

Schools across the UK can now access free learning resources linked to the Olympic Torch Relay through Get Set, the official London 2012 education programme. The activities are designed to help schools and colleges make the most of the Relay by lining the route, and cheering on their local Torchbearers. Resources include ideas for making Flame hats and shakers to welcome the Flame, an assembly presentation to get the school behind a Torchbearer and a film showing one Get Set network school's preparations for the Relay.

The man behind the Olympic torch

The Olympic Torch is a powerful symbol of any Olympic Games, and former Oxford Brookes student Jay Osgerby is the man behind the design for 2012. Visit the Oxford Brookes website for a profile.

Contact Us

For any enquiries about Oxford's London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Celebration, please email events@oxford.gov.uk.

You can also follow Oxford City Council on Twitter for all the latest news on the event.

Page last reviewed 23 May 2012