The Beatles legend Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones are battling it out to headline the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
The Rolling Stones and 68-year-old McCartney, one of the two surviving Beatles, have both played at the American Super Bowl to worldwide audiences of over 100 million but only one of them will be able to jam at the games to be held here, the Daily Star reported.
“The 2012 Olympics opening ceremony is going to be spectacular. It has to be to kick off the event in great British style. Everyone wants to be a part of this historical happening and what is great for us is that the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney are interested in playing,” a source said.
“They both have an outstanding catalogue of hit after hit that everyone across the world knows. The Stones and McCartney can easily carry off something of this magnitude on the world stage,” the source added.
The Rolling Stones, formed in 1962 and led by vocalist Mick Jagger, have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide while McCartney has been rated as one of the most successful songwriters in the history of popular music.
“We’re looking at the American Super Bowl’s half-time show — which they have played at — as the kind of thing we’re going for with the opening ceremony. It would be great to have both but there can only be one headliner. It’s going to be difficult but talks have opened and we’ll see what can be worked out,” the source said.
McCartney’s fashion designer daughter Stella is designing the England team’s 2012 Olympic kit.