The acclaimed singer-songwriter Rita Ora will be the star guest at the Closing Ceremony of the INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023 presented by Boeing on Saturday, 16 September, at 8 pm. The star-studded show in the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA will be the crowning conclusion to a unique sports event for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.
With her recently released album ‘You & I’, Rita Ora is currently earning praise from music critics including for ‘Praising you’, a rework of the 90s hit ‘Praise you’ by Fatboy Slim. Germany is Rita’s third highest streaming market globally, ‘You & I’ has been streamed already more than 16 million times. In Britain, she scored her first Top 10 Album on the UK Official Albums charts in eleven years and landed the coveted #1 spot on the Official Independent Albums Chart.
Singer-songwriter Rita Ora is no stranger to Düsseldorf: Only last year she hosted the MTV EMAs in the PSD BANK DOME, together with her husband Taika Waititi. ‘I am incredibly proud to be part of the Closing Ceremony of the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf. I am so excited to be performing in front of this very unique audience. The Invictus Games is a very special sport event, and the competitors are an inspiration in perseverance and will for all of us,’ says Rita Ora.
The show will be hosted by Hadnet Tesfai and Steven Gätjen, who will also lead the audience through the Opening Ceremony of the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023. Hadnet Tesfai is a nationally known presenter and DJ, who, in addition to having her own TV show, podcasts or radio shows, has also hosted the opening show of the Berlin film festival. Her counterpart Steven Gätjen, as the host of shows like ‘Joko & Klaas gegen Pro7’, ‘Schlag den Raab’ or the broadcast of the Academy Awards, is a universally known TV face. In his own podcast ‘Kino oder Couch’ (cinema or couch), the film specialist Steven Gätjen chats about films, series or his private life.
‘As this is our first time participating in the Invictus Games, we are really looking forward to this unique sporting event. Being part of the Invictus Family and experiencing the very special atmosphere of the Closing Ceremony will be a great joy for our whole team’, explains Israeli participant Liran Coriat.
The Closing Ceremony – the grand finale of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 – will once again unite all competitors from 21 nations and their accompanying friends and family on stage in an emotional show. Under the motto ‘A Home For Respect’, all participants are given the respect they deserve for their service and commitment. The event's powerful message of hope, unity and respect will resonate for a long time to come, inspiring countless people to take on life's challenges with unwavering determination and courage.
The Closing Ceremony in the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA starts at 8 pm on Saturday, 16 September. Reduced tickets are available from EUR 13; regular tickets are available from EUR 16 at https://invictusgames23.de/tickets.
More information about the INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023 presented by Boeing and the programme of events is available on the official website https://invictusgames23.de/.
About the INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023 presented by Boeing:
Initiated in 2014 by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the Invictus Games will be held in Germany for the first time in 2023. The project, jointly hosted by the Bundeswehr and the City of Düsseldorf, is to be a unique celebration of optimism and inspiration. One of the main goals of this international sports competition is to give physically and mentally wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women greater awareness and recognition in society, and to support their rehabilitation journey. The event will take place in Düsseldorf under the motto ‘A HOME FOR RESPECT.’ The venue consists of the MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA, the adjacent Arena Sports Park and the Rheinbad swimming pool.
Your point of contact:
INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023
Uerdinger Straße 88-92
D-40474 Düsseldorf
Mr Lars Koch
Press Relations Officer
Mobile: +49 160 9625 6342
Mail: presse@invictusgames23.de
Notes to editors
Photos can be downloaded from the following press area and published, provided the source is mentioned (© INVICTUS GAMES DÜSSELDORF 2023): https://invictusgames23.de/en/press/