Rihanna, Jay-Z and Coldplay rock Paralympics Closing Ceremony
Sept. 9, 2012, 6:36 PM EST
WENN
Superstars Rihanna, Jay-Z and Coldplay helped draw the Paralympic
Games to a close with a spectacular Closing Ceremony in London on Sunday.
The grand finale, called the Festival of the Flame, drew more than
80,000 spectators to the Olympic Stadium to cap a summer of sports in the
British capital.
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It kicked off with a poignant tribute to the armed forces
charity Help for Heroes, before proud flag-bearers from the 164 competing
nations marched onto the field.
Coldplay rocked out to a selection of
hits and Rihanna flew into the packed arena on a swing to sing "We Found Love,"
as hundreds of volunteers and disabled dancers performed.
Speaking
before the event, the rockers told reporters, "Being asked to play at the
Paralympic Closing Ceremony in our hometown is a huge honor. We can't actually
imagine a bigger honor," while Rihanna agreed, "Being at the Paralympics is the
biggest honor. These athletes are gladiators and are a true inspiration to me."
Jay-Z later joined both acts for "Run This Town."
The ceremony ended with a dazzling fireworks display as the cauldron
was extinguished, handing over to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for
2016.
