Re-live the Rio 2016 Paralympics Opening Ceremony

Grab your popcorn and join @Paralympics watch party Saturday on Facebook and Twitter 24 Apr 2020

Fireworks explode during the Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at Maracana Stadium

The Rio 2016 Paralympics Opening Ceremony took place at the Maracana stadium

ⒸGetty Images

By Ros Dumlao | For the IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is bringing back the experience that wowed spectators at the Rio 2016 Paralympics Opening Ceremony, by re-streaming that extravagant evening on Saturday (25 April) via its digital channels.

Beginning at 18:00 CEST, @Paralympics will host a watch party on its Facebook and Twitter pages.

Throughout the past week, the IPC asked its fans on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to vote on their favourite Opening Ceremony moment. Those include US celebrity and Para snowboarder Amy Purdy’s samba routine with a robot; extreme wheelchair athlete “Aaron Wheelz” Fotheringham’s daredevil entrance into the Maracana stadium; and Brazilian Paralympian Marcia Malsar carrying the torch through pouring rain.

The results will be revealed during Saturday’s watch party.

Or maybe it was Aaron Fotheringham @wcmx4life making a grand entry into the stadium! 🏟 pic.twitter.com/QfxfvF2f3I
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) April 21, 2020

#Rio2016 favourite moments again!

Children with disabilities carrying the Paralympic flag with their parents. 😍 #OpeningCeremony

📸 @cpboficial pic.twitter.com/oovhluTF8H
— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) April 22, 2020

On 7 September 2016, Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium was turned into a sea of light and colour and reverberated to Samba beats during a Ceremony that lived up to its promise to surprise, provoke and celebrate – all with a Brazilian twist.

The Rio Games – the first ever hosted in Latin America – saw athletes from 160 teams compete in 528 medal events across 22 sports. And the Brazilian people showed that night that they were ready to get behind the Games as a passionate and noisy crowd packed into the stadium for the official curtain-raiser of the 2016 Paralympic Games.