2006 Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony
Encyclopedia
The Closing Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
on 26 March 2006 to mark the closing of the 18th Commonwealth Games
.
Pat Davern suspended on the Great Southern Stand of the MCG
playing a guitar (equipped with pyrotechnics which produced sparks) whilst being lowered onto the stadium ground, giving a rock concert feel to the closing ceremony. Grinspoon performed their hits Hard Act To Follow and Better Off Alone. During the performance under 18 TAC Cup Australian rules football
players, accompanied by several contemporary key figures of the sport entered through a banner, running out into formation. Ballerinas dressed in club colours followed.
Melbourne musician Paul Kelly
performed "Leaps and Bounds", while various costumed performers, representing Melbournians entered the arena, in addition to a number of significant Melbourne landmark icons such as Flinders Street Station
, The Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign
, St. Kilda's
Luna Park
facade, the Royal Exhibition Building
, The Melbourne Cup
and the Victorian Arts Centre Spire.
Ben Lee
then performed a tribute to Melbourne's multicultural nature, performing We're All In This Together
while people (known on-site as "Multis") held photoboards of their ancestors from the many different nationalities of Melbournians and created a "wall" with them. (Note: not all the people were holding their own ancestors. Most were assigned random photos. Those who had submitted photos got to hold their own.) Nearing the end of Ben Lee's song, the "Multis" took out large red and yellow paper flowers, alluding to Lee's upcoming video for the song. During the song, girls dressed in pink costumes, reminiscent of a 1990s Kylie Minogue
music video danced with large "sweetheart lollies
". These girls were known on-site as the "sweetheart girls".
The Bodyrockers performed their hit I Like the Way (You Move)
while the "multis" and "sweetheart girls" performed separate dances. Towards the end of the song, the multis moved from the front of the stage to the middle, flipping their boards over and revealing a giant moving version of Federation Square
, also using the boards to create an audience wave
(Mexican wave). They finished up, holding poses, as fireworks were set off around the MCG
. Fireworks were alluded to during the ceremony, with small explosions taking place throughout the event.
The volunteers were then welcomed and thanked, with 14,000 being invited to the closing ceremony, while a poem was read out listing a few more of Melbourne's icons, such as The Espy, Graham Kennedy
("The King", as he was affectionately known to Melbournians) and Shane Warne
. The volunteers were honoured as being an integral part of the games success.
Confetti snow rained down on the stage, representing the fickle nature of Melbourne's weather, as Sarah Blasko
performed a Neil Finn
and Crowded House
hit, Don't Dream It's Over
. Paul Kelly
and the Stormwater Boys played "Rally around the Drum", before flag bearers for each country raised flags, in the same order of continental region that they had done in the opening ceremony, starting with England and finishing with Australia. An illuminated globe suspended in the centre was lowered with Australia, upside down, highlighted in red, and on top of the world. Notably, Melbourne City Council's Mayor, Lord Mayor John So
was included in the proceedings, to rapturous applause of the crowd, who continued to cheer as his name was read out throughout the ceremony.
The Commonwealth Games Ceremonial Flag was lowered by workers representing the Emergency Services of Victoria to the backing of a Wurundjeri
Indigenous
traditional song performed by the Gondwana Voices, a national youth choir.
A month after the ceremony, all the Melbourne performers received certificates of participation.
. A short promotional video was displayed extolling the virtues of India
. The stage was filled with the sights and sounds of the Bollywood
film culture, with colour and dance predominant features. Several colourful performances were displayed, such as the lively bhangra by Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan
as well as a dance by Aishwarya Rai
, who is a Bollywood
and Hollywood actress, a supermodel and Miss World of 1994.
The 2010 Delhi Games mascot, Shera the Friendly Tiger paraded around the stage waving at the crowd, accompanied by the Miss Universe 2000, Lara Dutta
and the Miss World 2000, Priyanka Chopra
. Then the theme song was performed on stage. The song was sung by popular India
n singers Sonu Nigam
, Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan
and Shiamak Davar
. The latter is also a famous dance choreographer in India. The song, called "Delhi Chalein" invites everyone to the next Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The David Dixon Award, for Best and Fairest, was awarded to Indian Commonwealth Games Team shooter, Samaresh Jung
. As the Indian shooter had already returned to India, the award trophy was handed over to an Indian Olympic Association official as the representative.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
then officially closed the Games.
from the opening ceremony returned and the boy, who was holding the duck, went down a trapdoor at the centre of the stage and disappeared from sight, symbolizing the closing of the 2006 Games.
Casey Donovan
, the winner of the 2004 Australian Idol
, performed Better To Love.
Michael Klim
then came on stage to respond on behalf of the athletes. He was interrupted, mid-sentence, by Barry Humphries
(as "Dame Edna Everage
"). Michael Klim's interrupted speech was never finished.
"Dame Edna Everage" read a message, and a poem and then sang a song in tribute to Melbourne, via video, while 1,000 so-called "Commonwealth Dames", wearing various costumes, some from the beginning of the show, performed on the circular stage, waving gladioli and dancing. During this, many fireworks were set off, finally ending in a large human formation in the shape of Dame Edna's trademark glasses.
The stage then cleared, with the volunteers surrounding the centre platform, with Australian King of Music John Farnham
singing his hit Age of Reason, followed by a set of Farnham songs, finishing with his anthem song, You're the Voice.
The athletes danced and partied around the centre stage, many of them taking advantage of the informal procedures to take photos, and celebrate in the festivities. Then a select number of outer circle volunteers speared inwards to form a heart-shaped enclosure, while Melbourne's larger skyscrapers set fireworks alight - mirroring the opening ceremony
. The floating fish of the Yarra River
were illuminated one final time. The official goodbye was announced, and the ceremony ended.
The President of the Commonwealth Games Committee, Mike Fennell, declared to the crowd, "Melbourne, you are simply the best!" Whether he meant the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games was the best games ever is, however, unclear.
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on 26 March 2006 to mark the closing of the 18th Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
.
Performances
The ceremony began with a fireworks show. This was followed by Grinspoon'sGrinspoon
Grinspoon are an Australian rock band from Lismore, New South Wales formed in 1995 and fronted by Phil Jamieson on vocals and guitar with Pat Davern on guitar, Joe Hansen on bass guitar and Kristian Hopes on drums. Also in 1995, they won the Triple J-sponsored Unearthed competition for Lismore,...
Pat Davern suspended on the Great Southern Stand of the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
playing a guitar (equipped with pyrotechnics which produced sparks) whilst being lowered onto the stadium ground, giving a rock concert feel to the closing ceremony. Grinspoon performed their hits Hard Act To Follow and Better Off Alone. During the performance under 18 TAC Cup Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
players, accompanied by several contemporary key figures of the sport entered through a banner, running out into formation. Ballerinas dressed in club colours followed.
Melbourne musician Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
performed "Leaps and Bounds", while various costumed performers, representing Melbournians entered the arena, in addition to a number of significant Melbourne landmark icons such as Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
, The Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign
Skipping Girl Sign
The Skipping Girl Sign or Skipping Girl Vinegar Sign, colloquially known as Little Audrey, is the first animated neon sign in Australia. The sign is located on Victoria Street within the inner Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford.-Construction:...
, St. Kilda's
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
Luna Park
Luna Park, Melbourne
For other amusement parks of the same name, see Luna Park; for other uses of the phrase, see Luna Park Melbourne's Luna Park is a historic amusement park located on the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in St Kilda, Victoria, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia...
facade, the Royal Exhibition Building
Royal Exhibition Building
The Royal Exhibition Building is a World Heritage Site-listed building in Melbourne, Australia, completed in 1880. It is located at 9 Nicholson Street in the Carlton Gardens, flanked by Victoria, Nicholson, Carlton and Rathdowne Streets, at the north-eastern edge of the central business district...
, The Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
and the Victorian Arts Centre Spire.
Ben Lee
Ben Lee
Benjamin Michael "Ben" Lee is an ARIA Award winning musician and actor. Lee began his career as a musician at the age of 14 with the Sydney band Noise Addict, but focused on his solo career when the band broke up in 1995. He appeared as the protagonist in the Australian film The Rage in Placid Lake...
then performed a tribute to Melbourne's multicultural nature, performing We're All In This Together
Awake Is the New Sleep
Awake Is the New Sleep is the fifth album by Australian musician Ben Lee, released in 2005. It reached #5 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, becoming his most successful album. It contains the top 40 singles "Gamble Everything for Love" and "Catch My Disease"...
while people (known on-site as "Multis") held photoboards of their ancestors from the many different nationalities of Melbournians and created a "wall" with them. (Note: not all the people were holding their own ancestors. Most were assigned random photos. Those who had submitted photos got to hold their own.) Nearing the end of Ben Lee's song, the "Multis" took out large red and yellow paper flowers, alluding to Lee's upcoming video for the song. During the song, girls dressed in pink costumes, reminiscent of a 1990s Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
music video danced with large "sweetheart lollies
Sweethearts (candy)
Sweethearts are small heart-shaped candies sold around Valentine's Day. Each conversation heart is printed with a message such as "Be Mine", "Kiss Me", "Call Me", "Let's Get Busy", and "Miss You". Sweethearts are made by the New England Confectionery Company, or Necco. A similar type of candy is...
". These girls were known on-site as the "sweetheart girls".
The Bodyrockers performed their hit I Like the Way (You Move)
I Like the Way (You Move)
This page is about the Bodyrockers song. For the song by Outkast, see The Way You Move"I Like the Way" is a single by Australian Kaz James and Briton Dylan Burns, collectively known as the dance music group BodyRockers. It was released in April 2005 and later appeared on the group's self-titled...
while the "multis" and "sweetheart girls" performed separate dances. Towards the end of the song, the multis moved from the front of the stage to the middle, flipping their boards over and revealing a giant moving version of Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, also using the boards to create an audience wave
Audience wave
The wave or the Mexican wave is an example of metachronal rhythm achieved in a packed stadium when successive groups of spectators briefly stand and raise their arms...
(Mexican wave). They finished up, holding poses, as fireworks were set off around the MCG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
. Fireworks were alluded to during the ceremony, with small explosions taking place throughout the event.
The volunteers were then welcomed and thanked, with 14,000 being invited to the closing ceremony, while a poem was read out listing a few more of Melbourne's icons, such as The Espy, Graham Kennedy
Graham Kennedy
Graham Cyril Kennedy, AO was an Australian radio, television and film performer, often called Gra Gra and The King of Australian television.-Childhood:...
("The King", as he was affectionately known to Melbournians) and Shane Warne
Shane Warne
Shane Keith Warne is a former Australian international cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet...
. The volunteers were honoured as being an integral part of the games success.
Confetti snow rained down on the stage, representing the fickle nature of Melbourne's weather, as Sarah Blasko
Sarah Blasko
Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow , is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. After fronting Sydney-based band Acquiesce from the mid-1990s, Blasko developed her solo career from 2002. In 2007, she won the 'Best Pop Release' for What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have at the ARIA Music Awards, which...
performed a Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
and Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
hit, Don't Dream It's Over
Don't Dream It's Over
-12": Capitol / 12CL 438 United Kingdom :* also available on CD and MC-Personnel:*Neil Finn: Vocals and guitar*Nick Seymour: Bass guitar*Paul Hester: Drums and backing vocals*Mitchell Froom: Keyboards-Release history:- Charts :...
. Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
and the Stormwater Boys played "Rally around the Drum", before flag bearers for each country raised flags, in the same order of continental region that they had done in the opening ceremony, starting with England and finishing with Australia. An illuminated globe suspended in the centre was lowered with Australia, upside down, highlighted in red, and on top of the world. Notably, Melbourne City Council's Mayor, Lord Mayor John So
John So
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...
was included in the proceedings, to rapturous applause of the crowd, who continued to cheer as his name was read out throughout the ceremony.
The Commonwealth Games Ceremonial Flag was lowered by workers representing the Emergency Services of Victoria to the backing of a Wurundjeri
Wurundjeri
The Wurundjeri are a people of the Indigenous Australian nation of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance, who occupy the Birrarung Valley, its tributaries and the present location of Melbourne, Australia...
Indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
traditional song performed by the Gondwana Voices, a national youth choir.
A month after the ceremony, all the Melbourne performers received certificates of participation.
Welcoming Delhi 2010
The ceremony took a distinct change, in acknowledgment of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
. A short promotional video was displayed extolling the virtues of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The stage was filled with the sights and sounds of the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film culture, with colour and dance predominant features. Several colourful performances were displayed, such as the lively bhangra by Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
as well as a dance by Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is an Indian film actress. She worked as a model before starting her acting career, and ultimately won the Miss World pageant in 1994...
, who is a Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
and Hollywood actress, a supermodel and Miss World of 1994.
The 2010 Delhi Games mascot, Shera the Friendly Tiger paraded around the stage waving at the crowd, accompanied by the Miss Universe 2000, Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta
Lara Dutta Bhupathi is an Indian actress, UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and former Miss Universe.-Early life:Dutta was born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh to a Punjabi father and an Anglo-Indian mother. Her father is Wing Commander L.K. Dutta and her mother is Jennifer Dutta...
and the Miss World 2000, Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
. Then the theme song was performed on stage. The song was sung by popular India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n singers Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
, Shreya Goshal, Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs....
and Shiamak Davar
Shiamak Davar
DIL CHAHE-External links:* * * http://www.google.co.in/music/album?n=Dil-Chahe-Shiamak&id=20100520190954_2d1d03si4m47m* http://www.google.co.in/music/album?n=Mohabbat-Kar-Le-Shiamak&id=20100520134546_lj2mmwol474i...
. The latter is also a famous dance choreographer in India. The song, called "Delhi Chalein" invites everyone to the next Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
The David Dixon Award, for Best and Fairest, was awarded to Indian Commonwealth Games Team shooter, Samaresh Jung
Samaresh Jung
Samaresh Jung is an Indian sport shooter. He is an air pistol specialist. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, he won two gold medals, in the men's free pistol pairs and in the open event of 25 m standard pistol pairs, both in partnership with Jaspal Rana...
. As the Indian shooter had already returned to India, the award trophy was handed over to an Indian Olympic Association official as the representative.
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
then officially closed the Games.
Concluding Performances
The Boy and White DuckDuck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
from the opening ceremony returned and the boy, who was holding the duck, went down a trapdoor at the centre of the stage and disappeared from sight, symbolizing the closing of the 2006 Games.
Casey Donovan
Casey Donovan (singer)
-Australian Idol :Donovan transferred to the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney's Surry Hills in 2004 and it was in this year that her stepfather encouraged her to audition for the second season of Australian Idol...
, the winner of the 2004 Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
, performed Better To Love.
Michael Klim
Michael Klim
Michael Klim OAM is a Polish-born Australian swimmer. He was born in Gdynia. He was educated at the University High School, Melbourne and Wesley College, Melbourne where he is currently employed as the College's elite Head Coach of swimming...
then came on stage to respond on behalf of the athletes. He was interrupted, mid-sentence, by Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
(as "Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna Everage
Dame Edna is a character created and played by Australian dadaist performer and comedian, Barry Humphries, famous for her lilac-coloured or "wisteria hue" hair and cat eye glasses or "face furniture," her favorite flower, the gladiola and her boisterous greeting: "Hello Possums!" As Dame Edna,...
"). Michael Klim's interrupted speech was never finished.
"Dame Edna Everage" read a message, and a poem and then sang a song in tribute to Melbourne, via video, while 1,000 so-called "Commonwealth Dames", wearing various costumes, some from the beginning of the show, performed on the circular stage, waving gladioli and dancing. During this, many fireworks were set off, finally ending in a large human formation in the shape of Dame Edna's trademark glasses.
The stage then cleared, with the volunteers surrounding the centre platform, with Australian King of Music John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
singing his hit Age of Reason, followed by a set of Farnham songs, finishing with his anthem song, You're the Voice.
The athletes danced and partied around the centre stage, many of them taking advantage of the informal procedures to take photos, and celebrate in the festivities. Then a select number of outer circle volunteers speared inwards to form a heart-shaped enclosure, while Melbourne's larger skyscrapers set fireworks alight - mirroring the opening ceremony
2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held on 15 March 2006 at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ceremony was conceived and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide, which also produced the ceremonies for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth...
. The floating fish of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
were illuminated one final time. The official goodbye was announced, and the ceremony ended.
The President of the Commonwealth Games Committee, Mike Fennell, declared to the crowd, "Melbourne, you are simply the best!" Whether he meant the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games was the best games ever is, however, unclear.
See also
- 2006 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony2006 Commonwealth Games Opening CeremonyThe Opening Ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games was held on 15 March 2006 at Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The ceremony was conceived and produced by Jack Morton Worldwide, which also produced the ceremonies for the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth...
- Commonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006 Closing CeremonyCommonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006 Closing CeremonyCommonwealth Games: Melbourne 2006 Closing Ceremony features the official music from the Closing Ceremony on 26 March 2006.-Track listing:#Fanfare For H.R.H The Earl Of Wessex - Chong Lim & The Games Symphony Orchestra#Guitar Fanfare - Pat Davern...
(CD)