Italian production company Balich Worldwide Shows (BWS) will stage the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Pan American and Parapan American Games the Lima 2019 Organising Committee has announced.

All Ceremonies will take place at the 40,000-capacity Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), home ground of the Peruvian national football team.

BWS was chosen following a three-month long competition between some of the world´s most renowned live show production companies.

The agreement was signed by Lima 2019 President Carlos Neuhaus, Lima 2019 Communications, Commercial and Marketing Director Juan Antonio Silva, and BWS representative Simone Merico.

Among many other major sporting events, BWS produced the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, last year.

BWS creates, designs and produces large scale events, entertainment icons, special projects and is highly specialised in Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies.

"Balich Worldwide Shows is one of the highly reputable companies of Worldwide Shows Corporation, a world leader in the live entertainment and communication industry," Lima 2019 said.

"Combining multicultural talents that compose in each project, custom international teams, Balich Worldwide Shows has held live events, large scale celebrations, new entertainment formats and various Olympic events."

The Opening Ceremony of the 2019 Parapan American Games will take place on 23 August and the Closing Ceremony on 1 September.

Lima 2019 will feature a record 1,850 athletes who will compete in 17 sports, two more than Toronto 2015, overtaking the latter as the biggest Parapan American Games to date.