1
Forget an alarm clock on 27 July — a three-minute chorus of bells will ring out across the land to signal the start of the Olympic Games, masterminded by Turner Prize-winner Martin Creed.
2
The British band Elbow is composing the BBC's Olympic theme, which will feature the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Community Gospel Choir.
3
Twenty new pieces of work, each 12 minutes long, have been commissioned by New Music 20x12 to celebrate the UK's musical community. Hear them at the Southbank Centre on 13-15 July. prsformusicfoundation.com
4
The Serpentine Gallery presents an exhibition of Yoko Ono's work (19 June-9 September). Check out the gallery's new wing designed by Zaha Hadid and christened the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. serpentinegallery.org
5
Rio Artists Occupation London sees 30 artists from Rio de Janeiro reside in London for 30 days (6 July-4 August) where they will collaborate with 30 UK artists to produce work across the capital. festival.london2012.com
6
Artists Taking the Lead is a series of 12 art commissions going on show across the UK for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. artiststakingthelead.org.uk
7
Catch Florence + the Machine, Tinie Tempah, Leona Lewis et al at the biggest ever free-ticketed live music event — Radio 1's Hackney Weekend (23-24 June). bbc.co.uk/radio1
8
Core by international artist Kurt Hentschläger, a digital art exhibition featuring virtual aquariums, is on display at the Engine Shop, one of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums until 30 September. ironbridge.org.uk
9
The canals and waterways of the River Lea, which flows through the Olympic Park, have been cleaned, and the natural flood plains of the area restored as a
new wetland habitat for wildlife.
10
London Live 2012, held across three venues in the capital, includes live coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on giant screens at Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square. londonlive.uk.com
11
Stonehenge becomes a fairytale Fire Garden by French outdoor alchemists Compagnie Carabosse on 10-12 July, as part of Salisbury International Arts Festival. salisburyfestival.co.uk
12
Madonna makes her British live comeback with huge outdoor shows at London's Hyde Park (17 July) and at Murrayfield in Edinburgh (21 July) — her first ever show in Scotland. tickets2allevents.com
13
Olympic and Paralympic sailing and windsurfing events take place in Dorset within the shadow of England's first natural UNESCO World Heritage site, the Jurassic Coast, with 185m years of the Earth's history in 154km. jurassiccoast.com
14
The Mayor's Thames Festival returns to the riverfront
(8-9 September). thamesfestival.org
15
On 27 July, as part of BBC Proms 2012, Daniel Barenboim leads the West Eastern Divan Orchestra in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. bbc.co.uk/proms
16
BT River of Music, a free music festival during 21-22 July, takes place along the Thames, where a number of well-known sites will present music from different continents. london2012.com
17
Be dazzled by the Tree of Light (30 June-21 July), an arts project in the Thames Valley to mark the Olympic Games taking place. thetreeoflight.org
18
A renewed Kensington Palace has now opened and, at the Tower of London, the crown jewels will be on display. hrp.org.uk
19
The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games is at the Royal Opera House (27 July-12 August), an exhibition of artefacts, graphics, film and audio from the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. roh.org.uk
20
The World Shakespeare Festival (from 23 April) includes 70 productions, with artists around the globe acting in their own language. worldshakespearefestival.org.uk
