George Michael has confirmed he will play the Olympics closing ceremony 2012. The British pop-star - who cancelled a wave of concerts at the end of last year after falling ill with pneumonia - will return to the stage at the prestigious event on Sunday (August 12, 2012).


He revealed the news on his Twitter page on Tuesday (August 7, 2012), telling followers, "Hey everyone, how are you. Spending most of the next week rehearsing like crazy for the Olympic closing ceremony", though added, "Obviously a bit nervous not having played for nearly a year, but rehearsals sounding great so far!". Michael had received some of the best reviews of his career for his Symphonica tour in 2011 before being hospitalised and recovering in an Austrian medical facility. It's certainly shaping up to be a star studded affair on Sunday, with the Spice Girls believed to be reuniting for a very special performance. British rockers The Who and Muse will also be playing, though Gary Barlow's scheduled performance is in doubt after he suffered a family tragedy over the weekend. Gary and his wife Dawn lost their baby daughter Poppy after she was stillborn on Saturday (August 3, 2012).

George Michael hit the headlines last month after he revealed he still has a five-week memory gap from his battle with pneumonia last year. The singer told BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans that it was "touch and go" whether he would survive in hospital, though has relied on the word of others to establish exactly what happened to him.