Where to watch the opening ceremony

Lots of pubs, clubs and bars are putting on Olympic themed events to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Olympics this weekend.

We round up the most interesting ones (mostly in London) ahead of the big Olympics opening ceremony on Friday.

If you know of any more (especially around the UK) let us know info@thedrinksbusiness.com

1. Ale-ympic Crawl

The ale trail starts just four stops from the Stratford Olympic stadium at Canonbury Overground station with the Snooty Fox then moving on to the Alma, The Railway Tavern Ale House before reaching Newington Green for The Clarendon and The Cellars.

All the pubs have their own unique character and will be screening the opening Olympic ceremony on big screens plus other entertainment throughout the weekend with good food served at all the pubs.

Snooty Fox, 75 Grosvenor Avenue, N5 2NN
www.snootyfoxlondon.co.uk

The Alma, 59 Newington Green Road, London, N1 4QU
www.thealma-n1.co.uk

The Railway Tavern Ale House, 2 St Jude Street, London N16 8JT
www.therailwaytavernlondon.com

The Clarendon, 92 Mildmay Park London, N1 4PR
www.clarendonn1.co.uk

The Cellars, 125 Newington Green Road, London N1 4RA
www.thecellarsnewingtongreen.com

2. Golden Bee

Golden Bee, a bespoke cocktail bar and roof terrace based in Shoreditch, London is hosting an Olympic opening party starting at 4pm on Friday.

Olympic themed cocktails are available offering an array of colours, tastes and catchy Olympic themed titles and all the action can be caught on two 60 inch screens situated on the roof terrace .

Various genres of music will be thrown into the mix with DJ’s Crispin Dior and Kai Mystery Jets plus special guests playing until late. So if the ceremony suddenly presents the need to perform, the dance floor will not be too far away.

Georgia Knight, CEO of Through The Door Promotions said, “Everyone who wasn’t lucky enough to acquire tickets for the opening ceremony is looking for somewhere to go where they can get involved with the celebrations. Golden Bee wanted to create a balance between offering this ideal place to celebrate whilst avoiding the impending chaos caused by the Olympics on the streets below, and with an already packed guest list, they have certainly succeeded.”

 3. Water Poet pub

Special guest ales will be on at the Water Poet, as it gets into the Olympic spirit with an opening party. Consumers can vote on the favourite also which will win a guest spot on a pump for the duration of the Games.

To get the full Olympic experience there are nine screens showing the Games and a range of games on offer to try out. They include olym-ping pong and olympic-sized pool among them.

Costumes are encouraged and originality rewarded – the poets suggest farmyard animals in a tenuous tribute to Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony theme.

4. Father Ted theme: Jack’s Bar

A fan of Father Ted? Then think about heading to the Irish Olympics House for some traditional Irish fare with a twist in the basement.

The Irish Olympic House will feature a basement area called “Father Jack’s Bar” which “reflects the whole atmosphere of Craggy Island,” a spokesperson for the House said.

But, she said, earlier reports that the whole venue would be Father Ted-themed were inaccurate. The spokesperson also rejected suggestions that basing part of the official Irish venue around a show featuring hard-drinking priests could be seen as inappropriate.

“It’s a small tongue-in-cheek area. We’re not saying this is the same as Father Ted. It’s not going to be the first thing people see as they walk in the door,” she added.

The decor includes trees growing out of the bar, and retro wallpaper. It has been designed in collaboration with Father Ted writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews.

5. Pubs getting into the Olympic spirit

Pubs and bars are embracing the Olympics with an impressive enthusiasm. Many are putting on special events and offers to get everyone in the mood for celebration.

For London City workers the perfect spot should be Corney and Barrow in Broadgate Circle, which will see the amphitheatre host a big screen.

For hip media luvvies, Shoreditch’s Bar Kick will be putting up screens for the duration of the games.

MatchPint, the UK sports pub finder, is promoting its iPhone app which allows you to “find the best pubs showing the 2012 Olympic Games.” The free iPhone app tells punters exactly which pubs are showing which events – from the rowing to the relays.

6. Alternatives 

In the Park

Huge screens will be erected at key sites across the city as part of the BT London Live series.

Hyde Park will host the UK’s biggest screen and there will also be free performances on selected days by acts including Sir Tom Jones, Dodgy and Alexandra Burke.

Other London parks involved in the programme include Victoria Park, and Trafalgar Square.

At the Cinema

Cineworld will be screening a full schedule of Olympic events at cinemas across the country.

Cinemagoers will get a front row seat to the Opening Ceremony at Cineworld Wandsworth, which will be screening the BBC’s coverage live from Stratford.

For two weeks visitors will be able to see Britain’s cyclists in the velodrome and Usain Bolt looking to set a new world record on the track; culminating with the Closing Ceremony on 12 August.