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Could the Olympics Boast Spice Girls and Oasis Reunions?

One-half of the warring faction / Photo by Getty Images

As the London Olympics draw nearer, excitement over the games’ many musical events have been reaching new heights. The latest reports should whip English fans in a (fairly reserved, they are English after all) frenzy: The Telegraph tells us that Spice Girls Ginger, Scary, Posh, Sporty, and Baby will reunite for the August 12 Closing Ceremony to sing a two-song set, one of which is bound to be 1996’s “Wannabe.” Geri “Ginger” Halliwell is reportedly going to wear her iconic Union flag dress, because England, obviously.

Surprisingly, Victoria “Posh” Beckham, of all the Spices, went on the radio earlier today to express her excitement about the upcoming performance, saying she would “love nothing more” than to get the gang back together again (previous reports about whether the quintet would appear hinged on Beckham’s reluctance to sign on). Whether the prospective reunion will inevitably turn into a tour is, for the moment, unknown — Beckham said she “didn’t know about” that, but “loved being back with the girls.” The group reunited for a brief tour in late 2007-early 2008, too.

The Closing Ceremomy is also rumored to include a performance of “Wonderwall” by Liam Gallagher and his Beady Eye bandmates. If you believe the occasionally reliable British tabloids, Liam got the gig after his brother Noel declined (perhaps he’s too busy hanging out with Mischa Barton?). The NME reports that the performance will feature a brand-new, tricked-out orchestral arrangement from James Bond composer David Arnold. But let’s think about this for a second: An Oasis reunion seems inevitable and the Gallagher brothers have a well-documented love brawling and reconciling in front of as many people as possible. Wouldn’t they bury the hatchet for a chance to capture the eyeballs of millions of rapt fans worldwide? Liam is singing Oasis songs again. A lot of money — and 4 billion expected viewers worldwide — is at stake. There is literally no bigger stage on which they could kiss and make up.

The Olympics will also include Blur headlining a “Best of British” gig at Hyde Park alongside New Order and the Specials). The Who, George Michael, and Take That will allegedly be performing at the ceremony itself, if a set of recently leaked set list documents are to be trusted. And Coldplay may be in the mix, too.

Here’s a vintage Spice Girls clip from the 1997 Brit Awards to get you psyched:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=h_PM2QCyzyI