You're reading: Celebs descending on London for Olympic bashes

LONDON (AP) — The athletes and the Olympic torch have arrived in London — and so has the party.

For those keener on celebrity-spotting
or dancing the night away than medal counting, the British host city
has plenty of action to offer during games time. Away from the track
and field, Hollywood royalty such as Brangelina and Nicole Kidman
will be rubbing shoulders with diplomats and businessmen at the
city’s glitziest clubs and grandest historic buildings. Meanwhile,
Dizzy Rascal, Snow Patrol and other musicians will keep crowds
entertained at outdoor concerts across the capital — though there
won’t be cocktails and canapes.

The party vibe kicks off Saturday with
the sold-out “River of Music” festival, which features six
stages along the Thames, each named for a different continent.
Musicians from the Americas, for example, are taking over London’s
iconic Tower of London, headlined by a gig by the Scissor Sisters.
Other performers from across the globe include Baaba Maal, Wynton
Marsalis and the Kronos Quartet.

One of the most glamorous bashes in
town will be a charity gala dinner at the Victoria & Albert
Museum on Wednesday, two days before the Olympic opening ceremony.
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Christopher Lee and Bob Geldof are
expected to attend the black-tie event, which is organized by the
charity Sports for Peace and held in honor of boxing great Muhammad
Ali.

Others reportedly attending include
Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Prince Harry. The
organizers did not immediately confirm the reports, but judging from
the list of celebs sitting on the charity’s committee — George
Clooney, Catherine Deneuve and Hilary Swank, to name a few — there
will definitely be no shortage of VIPs.

In Soho, London’s buzzing restaurant
and nightlife district, luxury watchmaker Omega, the Olympics’
official time-keeper, will be hosting its own A-list soirees in a
specially-refurbished townhouse until the end of the games on Aug 12.
Kidman is expected at a launch party on July 28, while a space-themed
bash on Aug. 2 will feature American astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Gene
Cernan and Tom Stafford. A publicist said other guests will include
swimmer Michael Phelps and Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan.

Other celebrities will make appearances
during the games — but only on video. “Harry Potter”
stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, actress Helen Mirren and
boxing star Amir Khan are among those who recorded a “goodbye”
video that will be played on screens as fans leave the Olympic venues
at the end of each sports session.

It’s not just the celebrities who know
how to party.

The Russians are planning to bring
Moscow nightlife to a VIP pavilion in Kensington Gardens, which for
the duration of the Olympics will be home to all things Russian. Not
on the guest list? “Russia Park,” as it is called, will be
free to enter during the day, and the public can enjoy the country’s
food, music, or have a go at ice curling.

Dozens of other countries will set up
their own “national hospitality houses” across London, and
several are open to the public. Casa Brasil at Somerset House will
showcase Brazilian culture and sport — and promote Rio’s hosting of
the 2016 Summer Games. Beer lovers should focus on the German House’s
party held on the cruise liner MS Deutschland, the Irish House at a
pub at King’s Cross, and the Netherlands’ “Heineken House”
at north London’s Alexandra Palace.

The Olympic opening and closing
ceremonies will also be focal points for celebration in London. On
the night before the opening ceremony, a concert at Hyde Park will
mark the arrival of the Olympic torch with performances by Dizzee
Rascal, The Wanted and DJ Mark Ronson. The park will continue to host
outdoor concerts throughout the games, with Snow Patrol and
Stereophonics headlining on July 27, and Amy Macdonald and Alyssa
Reid among the scheduled performers in following days.