Empty seats at Olympics as 2.5M seek tickets daily

'The sheer volume of people on the site, all through the day, and all through the night, by the way, is vast'

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Photos: Venues

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Welcoming the world
Olympic rings have been mowed into the grass by shire horses at Richmond Park in London. The rings are visible on the flight path to London Heathrow International Airport, ready to welcome athletes and visitors to the London 2012 Games.

The Games will take place July 27-Aug. 12, 2012. (LOCOG via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation

Related video Sneak peek inside the London Olympic venues
Getting around
A cable car is seen June 28 across the River Thames in London. The cable car will make the half-mile crossing between Greenwich and the Royal Docks, allowing visitors to take in the views of Olympic Park, the Canary Wharf financial center and the Thames Barrier. Each of the 34 cars holds 10 people. Travelers can purchase one-way or round-trip tickets, with a one-way ticket costing 3.20 pounds (about $5 US). (Lefteris Pitarakis / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Final countdown
Work continues July 3 on the entry routes to the Olympic Stadium in London. The stadium will host several events during the 2012 Games. (Luke MacGregor / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Olympic Park
A July 12 aerial view of the Olympic Park in Stratford, one of the venues for the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games. (David Goddard / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Twisty tower
The ArcelorMittal Orbit is seen May 11 in the London 2012 Olympic Park. The 375-foot observation tower is the tallest in England and will remain a permanent fixture in the city long after the Games end. (Ki Price / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Shopping, anyone?
Shoppers are seen at the Westfield Stratford City mall in east London. The 1.75 billion British pounds ($2.75 billion U.S.) mall includes a 24-hour casino, 14 bowling lanes, 70 restaurants and 250 shops between the main public transit hub and the main entry point to the Olympic Park. An estimated 75 percent of fans will have to walk through the mall and its temptations to reach the venues for showcase events like gymnastics, swimming, basketball and track. (Lefteris Pitarakis / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Shooting events
A steward stands outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London, on April 20. The OIympic shooting events will be held at this venue. (Matt Dunham / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Carrying the torch
Torchbearer Zachary Franklin carries the Olympic flame on a raft down the Lee Valley White Water Centre on July 7 in Waltham Cross, England. The 70-day relay leading up on the Olympic Games involves 8,000 torchbearers covering 8,000 miles. (LOCOG via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Tennis, anyone?
Andy Murray of Great Britain serves during a semifinal men's tennis match July 6 against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France on day 11 of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. The 2012 Summer Olympics tennis competition will be held in the venue. (Paul Gilham / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Olympic Stadium
This picture taken with a fisheye lens May 5 shows a general view of the British Universities and Colleges Sport Athletics Championship at Olympic Stadium in London. The 80,000-seat stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies during the 2012 Games. (Matt Dunham / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Velodrome
The Velodrome in east London can seat 6,000 spectators and will host the cycling events at the 2012 Summer Games. A glass wall around the venue's perimeter also gives visitors a 360-degree view of Olympic Park. (Ben Stansall / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Home sweet home
An aerial view of the Athletes' Village in the London 2012 Olympic Park on April 16. (Anthony Charlton / London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Spin your wheels
Exterior view of the Velodrome within the Olympic Park in London, England, on Feb. 19. The velodrome will host the track cycling events at the 2012 Olympic Games. (Gerry Penny / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Eyes on the prize
An aerial view of the Aquatics Centre and the Water Polo Arena in the London 2012 Olympic Park on April 16. (Anthony Charlton / LOCOG via Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Transformation
An aerial view of Olympic Park taken on April 4, 2008, (bottom) and Dec. 21, 2011, (top) show the Aquatics Centre (front), Water Polo Arena, right, and the Olympic Stadium, back, in London and the site when construction began. (Anthony Charlton / Olympic Delivery Authority via EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Olympic Stadium and Orbit Tower
The Olympic stadium and Orbit Tower of the London 2012 Olympic games in Stratford, east London, seen on Jan. 12, 2012. (Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Velodrome
A view of the Velodrome from the Parklands area in the Olympic Park in London on April 8, 2011. (Anthony Charlton / Olympic Delivery Authority via EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium is seen from Hackney in London on Nov. 27, 2011. (Eddie Keogh / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Beach volleyball venue
People walk across the Horseguards Parade on Nov. 29, 2011, in London, which will host the beach volleyball event for the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Andy Rain / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Rising to the occasion
Hot air balloons rise into the early morning sky July 25, 2011, over London. Seven balloons took part in the flight over London as part of a collaboration between the London Sky Orchestra project, the 30th anniversary of the London International Festival of Theatre, and the Greater London Authority, which is marking a year to go before the 2012 Olympic Games. (Andrew Winning / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
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Mascots
Olympic mascot Wenlock, left, and Paralympic mascot Mandeville pose for photographs May 19, 2010, at a school in London. The backstory of the two mascots is that they were created from the last drops of steel left over from the construction of the final support girder for the Olympic Stadium. (Matt Dunham / AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Bull’s eye
An aerial view of Lord's Cricket Ground, which will host archery events during the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Hoop dreams
An interior view of the London 2012 Basketball Arena. Construction on the 12,000-seat basketball arena for 2012 Olympics in London has been completed, just 15 months after building began. The stadium became the fourth venue at Olympic Park to be finished, on budget and in time for the first test event to be held at the site in August. (Dave Tully / ODA via AP) Share Back to slideshow navigation
The Dome
An aerial view of the North Greenwich Arena, also known as The Dome, which will host artistic gymnastics, trampoline, basketball and wheelchair basketball events during the 2012 Olympics in London. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Manmade whitewater
An aerial view of the Lee Valley White Water Centre, which will host the canoe slalom events during the London Olympics. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
In the arena
Nina Ligon represents Thailand during an equestrian competition at Greenwich Park on July 4 in London. The equestrian eventing was one of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games’ test events prior to 2012. (Olivia Harris / Reuters) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Goal!
An aerial view of Wembley Stadium, which will host soccer events during the 2012 Games. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Courtside seats
An interior view of the Handball Arena at London’s Olympic Park. The Handball Arena became the third venue at the Olympic Park to be completed. (David Poultney - Locog Handout / EPA) Share Back to slideshow navigation
Tennis, anyone?
An aerial view of Wimbledon, which will host the tennis events during the 2012 Olympic Games. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation
The Mall
An aerial view of The Mall, which will host the marathon, race walk and cycling events at the 2012 Games. (Tom Shaw / Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation

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Torch unveiled
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee, poses for pictures with the newly unveiled 2012 London Olympic Torch on June 8 in London. Runners will use the torch to carry the Olympic flame 8,000 miles around Britain to the opening ceremony. (Geoff Caddick / AFP - Getty Images) Share Back to slideshow navigation