Which One Direction song did they perform at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony?

One Direction performed “What Makes You Beautiful” at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony. The band appeared during the ceremony’s celebration of British popular music, performing from the back of a moving lorry in the Olympic Stadium.

The ceremony, officially titled “A Symphony of British Music,” took place on 12 August 2012. It featured major British acts from different eras, including the Pet Shop Boys, Muse, Queen, George Michael, and the Spice Girls. One Direction represented the era’s hugely successful young pop acts.

“What Makes You Beautiful” was a natural choice: released in 2011, it was the group’s breakthrough single and their first UK number-one hit. Its bright, guitar-led pop sound also made it one of the band’s most recognizable songs at the time.

A common mix-up is to choose “Live While We’re Young,” another early One Direction hit. That song was released later in 2012, but it was not the track performed at the Olympic closing ceremony.