Paralympic Torch Relay
The Relay will have a distinctive and unique voice: celebrating the power of human endeavour and energy in the run up to the Paralympic Games.
Building on the traditional Torch Relay format, the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay will begin in London on Friday 24 August with the lighting of England’s flame. The United Kingdom’s other three capital cities – Greater Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh – will then light a flame on each of the following days, at special Flame Lighting events. Each city will develop its unique method of lighting.
Once a flame has been lit, it will visit local community groups and key locations in and around the city. In addition to the lighting events there will be a series of evening celebrations called Flame Festivals. Confirmed locations to date for Flame Festivals are Greater Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The Flame Festivals are public events staged by LOCOG with the assistance of the host Local Authority and will include plenty of activities and entertainment.
Flame Festivals25 August: Belfast – City Hall
26 August: Edinburgh – Inverleith Park
27 August: Cardiff – Roald Dahl Plass
Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony
Each flame will then be taken to Stoke Mandeville, home of the Paralympic Movement where the four flames will be combined at a Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony on 28 August to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame.
Later that evening, there will be a 24-hour Torch Relay from Stoke Mandeville. Torchbearers working in teams of five will carry the Paralympic Flame to the Olympic Stadium to light the Cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Later that evening, there will be a 24-hour Torch Relay from Stoke Mandeville. Torchbearers working in teams of five will carry the Paralympic Flame to the Olympic Stadium to light the Cauldron at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
Paralympic Torch Relay locations
The Paralympic Torch Relay will visit Flame Festivals and Flame Celebrations around the UK before taking part in a 24 hour relay from Stoke-Mandeville to London.
In addition to the Flame Festivals, the following 33 communities across the UK will host a Flame Celebration Event over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Locations of the Paralympic Torch Relay Flame Celebrations
| East of England Cambridgeshire Bedfordshire Essex Norfolk Suffolk Hertfordshire East Midlands Leicester Northern Ireland Cookstown Ballymena Derry Newry and Mourne Carrickfergus North East Beamish North West Manchester Preston Merseyside
Cheshire
| Scotland Glasgow South East Horsham Aylesbury South West Bath Plymouth Weymouth & Portland Yorkshire Leeds York Sheffield Beverley Huddersfield Wales Conwy West Midlands Hereford Coventry Trentham Lake Cannock |
