Opening Ceremony to include live creation, samba dream team

The Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in the Maracana Stadium will include the live creation of a work of art by ceremony director and renowned Brazilian artist Vik Muniz.

Taking place during the athletes’ parade, the piece of art will use 500 plates, which will be carried by the different delegations to form a gigantic mosaic, whose design remains a secret.

“This work of art will be completed and shared using a huge photo. People will be able to learn a little about the creative process in a work of art,” said Rio 2016 director of ceremonies, Leonardo Caetano on Monday (30 May) during a presentation at Rio 2016 headquarters to mark 100 days until the Games.

Other renowned names who will participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies include stylist Ronaldo Fraga and artist Guto Lacaz. Star musicians Teresa Cristina, Diogo Nogueira, Moncarco, Xande de Pilares, Hamilton Holanda and Pretinho da Serrinha will come together to form a samba super group, ensuring that the festivities have an unmistakeable Brazilian flavour.

The Paralympic Games will take place between 7 and 18 September, with athletes from 176 countries completing in 528 medal events across 23 sport disciplines. There will be 21 competition venues in four regions across the city (Copacabana, Maracana, Deodoro and Barra).

The Paralympic Torch Relay will start on the 1 September, visiting five cities (Brasilia, Belem, Natal, Joinville and Sao Paulo) in the five regions of Brazil. The Paralympic values – courage, determination, inspiration and equality – are written in braille on the body of the torch.

Paralympic Games organisers will have just 16 days after the curtain comes down on the Olympic Games on 21 August to make sure everything is ready for 7 September. During this transition period they will have to increase accessibility in venues in anticipation of the arrival of 4,350 athletes with an impairment.

“We want people to get here and encounter a new, fresh party, and not anything that feels like the end of a party,” said Marcos Lima, a Paralympic integration specialist at Rio 2016.

__

Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs)

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.