Calendar of Olympic and Paralympic related events

Below is a list of key dates and milestones that lie ahead in Olympic and Paralympic year. Both local and National events are included, however Community Games are not, for a list of locally organised Community Games please visit http://www.communitygames.org.uk/

January

• 6th January - Olympic and Paralympic ticket resale programme opens (to February 3rd)
• 9th January – 200 days to go the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
• 10th -18th January – Visa International Gymnastics, test event, North Greenwich Arena
• 27th January – 6 months to go to the Olympic Games

February

• February - Games Maker volunteers training begins
• 11th February – 200 days to go until Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony
• 16th - 19th February – UCI Track Cycling World Cup presented by Samsung, test event, Velodrome
• 20th - 26th February – 18th FINA Visa Diving World Cup, test event, Aquatics Centre
• 29th February - 6 Months to Go to Paralympic Games

March

• 3rd - 4th March - London 2012 Festival 'Music Nation' weekend across UK
• 3rd - 10th March - British Swimming Championships, test event, Aquatics Centre 
• 28th - 30th March – IOC’s final Coordination Commission visit to London
• 31st March - National Lottery Olympic Park Run event

April

• 1st April - Gold Challenge event in Olympic Stadium
• 18th April – 100 days to go to the start of the Olympic Games
• 18th -19th April – International Invitational Wheelchair Rugby test event, Basketball Arena
• 18th -22nd April - FINA Olympic Games Synchronised Swimming Qualification, presented by Visa, test event, Aquatics Centre
• 23rd April - Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualification Play-Off Match, test event, City of Coventry Stadium
• 23rd April - London 2012 Festival World Shakespeare Festival opens

May

• 2nd - 6th May – International Invitational Hockey Tournament, test event, Olympic Park 
• 4th - 7th May – British University & Colleges Sport Outdoor Athletics Championships, test event, Olympic Stadium
• 8th May - London Disability Grand Prix, Olympic Stadium, Paralympic Athletics test event 
• 9th May – School Games events in Olympic Park venues
• 19th May – Olympic Torch Relay starts at Land’s End
• 21st May – 100 days to go to the start of the Paralympic Games
• 24th May – Olympic Torch reaches Herefordshire; passing through Ledbury, Bartestree, Lugwardine, Hereford and Leominster on route to overnight stop in Worcester
• 25th May - Olympic Torch Relay passes through Ross-On-Wye on route to Wales

June

• 3rd June - Olympic Torch Relay reaches Northern Ireland
• 6th June - Olympic Torch Relay reaches Dublin
• 8th June - Olympic Torch Relay reaches Scotland
• 21st June – Start of London 2012 Festival
• 23rd - 24th June - London 2012 Festival Radio 1 Big Weekend event, Hackney Marshes
• 25th June - London 2012 World Sport Day celebrations in UK schools
• 30th June - HR1 deliver 'GLOW' dance festival on Castle Green, Hereford in association with Dancing for the Games

July

• 4th July - Herefordshire School Games
• 20th July - Olympic Flame arrives in London (evening) 
• 21st - 22nd July - London 2012 Festival River of Music concerts along River Thames
• 23rd July - Olympic Flame visits Albert Square in EastEnders episode
• 25th July - First Olympic Games sports events – Women's Football Preliminary matches at Cardiff (including Team GB), Coventry and Glasgow
• 27th July – Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

August

• 12th August - Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
• 24th August – Paralympic Flame lighting in London
• 25th August - Paralympic Flame lighting and flame festival in Belfast
• 25th August - Paralympic Flame Festival to be held in Hereford at Royal national College of the Blind (TBC)
• 26th August - Paralympic Flame lighting and flame festival in Edinburgh
• 27th August - Paralympic Flame lighting and flame festival in Cardiff 
• 28th  August  - Paralympic Flame festival in Stoke Mandeville, start of the 24 hour Paralympic Torch Relay to London
• 29th August - Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony
• 9th September - Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony