Prior to London 2012 there had been considerable apprehension about Britain 's ability to stage an opening ceremony that could reach the standard set at the Beijing Summer Games of 2008 . The 2008 ceremony had been noted for its scale , extravagance and expense , hailed as the " greatest ever " , and had cost £ 65m . In contrast , London spent an estimated £ 27m ( out of £ 80m budgeted for its four ceremonies ) , which was nevertheless about twice the original budget . Nonetheless , the London opening ceremony was immediately seen as a tremendous success , widely praised as a " masterpiece " and " a love letter to Britain "
2008 ceremony
2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony