London's Big Ben to ring more than 40 times to celebrate the first day of the Games

To herald the first day of the London 2012 Games on Friday27 July, at 8.12am Big Ben and thousands of bells across the UK will ring out as loudly as possible for three minutes to welcome the Games.

People around the country will ring a bell for Work No. 1197: All the Bells Turner Prize-winning artist and musician Martin Creed’s commission for the London 2012 Festival

Big Ben, the hour bell of the Palace of Westminster, will chime more than 40 times from 8.12am – 8:15am to ring in the Olympic Games. This is a historic occasion for one of the world’s most famous bells, as it is believed to be the first time that the strike of Big Ben has been rung outside its regular schedule since 15 February 1952 for the funeral of King George VI.

The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow MP, said: 'It is a sign of how special this summer is when one of the world’s most famous bells will ring outside its regular schedule so it can be part of this London 2012 Festival commission.'

Ruth Mackenzie, Director of London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad, said: 'All the Bells is London 2012 Festival's biggest community project, and we are incredibly excited that it allows everyone in the UK the chance to be part of history in the making as we aim to set a world record for the largest number of bells to be rung simultaneously.'

Simultaneous, nationwide bell-ringing

Bells will ring everywhere from Britain's northernmost inhabited house in Skaw, the Shetland Isles, to the UK’s most westerly church in Tresco, The Scilly Isles.

Anyone can take part by ringing any kind of bell for three minutes on Friday at 8.12am, whether church bells, town hall bells, hand bells bicycle bells or door bells.

Download the official London2012 Join In mobile application - you can use it and tap or shake your phone like a hand bell to release the Martin Creed bell sequence.

The London 2012 Festival features thousands of events across the UK. You can find out about all the events at the following website link http://www.london2012.com/festival