Already the Opening Ceremony of the World Winter Games on March 18 was received with incredible enthusiasm among the 15.000 people in the stadium as well as among the 105 delegations from around the globe – despite the pouring rain. The beautiful scenery and the emotional show made up for the poor weather.

“Heartbeat for the world”, the motto of the Games, has definitely gone out to the people and has made sure that heartwarming moments and meetings took place at all of the venues. The atmosphere is great, the crowds at the venues even more so, the support that athletes receive is beautiful. There are on-going competitions until Friday when the last award ceremonies take place in Graz. At 7pm the grand finale of the second World Games in Austria will be held at the Merkur Arena in Graz.

The Merkur Arena will very probably be sold out, on Tuesday there were only about 500 tickets left. The closing ceremony will therefore be a similarly dignified final event like the opening ceremony at the start of the Games.

Also the musical program of the Closing Ceremony does not fall short of the one that we could experience at the kick-off event. Superstar Helene Fischer will perform her self-composed World Winter Games anthem “Fighter”, just like Rose May Alaba who will sing the Coca-Cola Unified Song “Can you feel it”. The athletes also invited Austrian Folk-singer Andreas Gabalier to perform. He will be on stage of the Merkur Arena for the first time – and unplugged as well. The final musical highlight will be Grace VanderWaal who won America´s Got Talent last year and who has since been storming the chart lists. The talented 13-year old already charmed us at the Opening Ceremony when she performed together with Grammy winner Jason Mraz.

Part of the colorful and exciting program consisting of dance-performances and performance artists, video flashbacks and acrobatics from artists of the Cirque du Soleil will also be the handing over of the Olympic flag to the hosts of the next World Games, Abu Dhabi who have also prepared a spectacular presentation.

And once more, before the flame of hope slowly but surely leaves Styria the motto of the World Winter Games 2017 will be rendered homage. The entire audience will turn into a sea of shining hearts by a special feature in the Austria 2017 app. This will send a special message to everybody who is watching: even though the flame of hope seemingly goes out in Styria, it will burn bright in the hearts of the people.

Highlights of the Closing Ceremony

• Video flashbacks: „Best of Games“; City Graz „City of Human rights“
• Official enter of the volunteers
• Enter of the 105 delegations (2-3 persons per nation)
• Speeches: SO-athlet Joel Seiler; Mary Davis (CEO SOI), Siegfried Nagl (Mayor of Graz)
• Musical acts: Rose May Alaba (Coca-Cola Unified song); Helene Fischer (“Fighter”, anthem of the SOWWG 2017), Andreas Gabalier (unplugged); Grace VanderWaal
• Exit of the Special Olympics flag
• Dance performance “Ich bin O.K.”
• Presentation of Abu Dhabi 2019 and handing over of the flame of hope
• Acrobatics performance of Cirque du Soleil
• LaBlast Dance show (Dance woldcup winners Louis van Amstel and Pierre Gider)
• Lighting up the hearts (via Austria2017 app)
• Closing party with fireworks

TV live coverage

ORF Sport+: 6.45 until 8.30 p.m.

General Information

Closing Ceremony: Friday, 24thMarch 2017.

Location: Merkur Arena Graz/Liebenau.  

Admission: 18 Uhr

Start: 19 Uhr (no late admission!)

Attention! Everybody who would still like to buy tickets has to act soon. On Tuesday there was just a small contingent left. Tickets available: www.oeticket.com.