2012 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony

Lore & Background

The ceremony opened with a film called 'The Book of Fire' showing eccentric travellers in steampunk vehicles heading to the stadium. Wind Gremlins on custom motorbikes with fans then entered, awakening Dreamers who had been asleep on the field. Performers with flares rescued the Dreamers after the Agitos floated away. A horse-like vehicle and the Human Endeavour machine, pulled by a team from Help for Heroes, entered; Captain Luke Sinnott, who lost both legs and an arm in Afghanistan, climbed a flagpole to raise the Union Flag while 54 drummers formed the Agitos. Prince Edward and IPC president Philip Craven arrived in an art car, and Lissa Hermans sang 'God Save the Queen'.

The cultural segment, 'Festival of the Flame', began with a speech by Lance Corporal Rory MacKenzie, followed by the entrance of national flags. The Reader called upon the spirits of the four seasons, and performers with backpack flamethrowers burned patterns into the grass. Trucks and travellers from the opening film entered, forming a procession around a central sundial stage. After the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award was given to Mary Nakhumicha Zakayo and Michael McKillop, and new IPC Athlete's Council members were introduced, Coldplay performed a concert divided into four seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. During the formal handover, the Paralympic flag was passed from Boris Johnson to Eduardo Paes. IPC president Philip Craven called the Games 'the greatest Paralympic Games ever.' The cauldron was extinguished by swimmer Eleanor Simmonds and sprinter Jonnie Peacock.

Reader's Guide

The 2012 Summer Paralympics closing ceremony, known as the Festival of the Flame, marked the end of what IPC president Philip Craven termed 'the greatest Paralympic Games ever.' Directed by Kim Gavin, who had just directed the Olympic closing ceremony, the event blended a festival theme with the four seasons, featuring a live concert by Coldplay with guest artists Rihanna and Jay-Z. The inclusion of the British Paraorchestra, a 17-piece orchestra of musicians with disabilities, was a notable step in raising international awareness for disabled musicians. The ceremony also included a formal handover of the Paralympic flag to Rio de Janeiro, host of the 2016 Games. The extinguishing of the Paralympic cauldron by British athletes Eleanor Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock symbolized the conclusion of the London 2012 Paralympics. The ceremony's emphasis on inclusivity, seasonal festivals, and British cultural elements provided a distinctive close to the Games.

Did You Know?

• The ceremony was also called the Festival of the Flame.
• Coldplay performed a concert divided into the four seasons: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer.