Top Ways to Celebrate the Olympics in London

Whether you've been lucky enough to snap up tickets for one or two Olympic events or you missed out, the Games are a fantastic excuse to head to London and immerse yourself in an absolutely unique atmosphere. Check out the top ways to celebrate the Olympics and Paralympics below.  (Photo "London Image" by vineetagar)
Now, a lot of the real landmark events in the Olympic calendar - like the Opening Ceremony on July 27th, for example - are ticketed and said tickets have already been assigned (congrats if you got one, by the way!). Fortunately, this doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the fun, since there are heaps of other events and celebrations taking place across the capital throughout the Games.
Most of these are part of the London 2012 Festival, which is pretty much the largest that's ever been held in the UK. Running from June 21st to September 9th, its program is packed with awesome outdoor events, film screenings, dance parties and loads more, so there's no excuse not to grab a train ticket to the capital and get involved.

BT River of Music
If you're into music, this has got to be one of the top events to attend. Taking place on July 21st and 22nd, it involves a series of stages being placed at key landmarks all along the Thames. Each one of these stages will showcase music from one of the regions participating in the Games, so it's a great opportunity to soak up a little culture - and dance your socks off!
The good news is it's free to attend, but bear in mind you'll still need a ticket. They'll go on sale from May 15th, with tickets to each stage being released weekly. So, it's worth having a think about which you want to go to - Somerset House is hosting the Europe stage and the Asia stage will be at Battersea Park, for example - and keeping an eye on when places are up for grabs. Don't dawdle, because the tickets won't be around forever!
Big Dance 2012
Fancy busting some serious moves? Big Dance 2012 is a series of events taking place across the capital that'll give you a chance to shake your stuff and watch professionals doing the same - though probably a little more gracefully!
The grand finale will take place on July 14th in Trafalgar Square and you don't even need a ticket, so come along and watch thousands of dancers get their groove on. Want to join in? The Big Dance 2012's Big Top Tent from July 4th to 9th is one of your options for doing so. Head down to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich on Saturday 7th July to learn some moves and get involved in competitions.
Film
As well as outdoor festivities, there's also an incredible number of more sedate cultural events to head to - among them film screenings. If you're into movies, one unmissable option is The Genius of Hitchcock, taking place on July 21st at BFI Southbank (there are a few other dates and locations if this doesn't suit you). Remastered screenings of the legend's classic films will be set to live music, so this really should be a unique experience.
Obviously this is by no means a comprehensive list of what's on offer in London over the Olympics, but hopefully it has inspired you to book a cheap hotel in London, get down there and celebrate. Let us know what you're planning to do to mark the occasion.  (Photo "1896 Athens Olympic Stadium" by jfonono)