Baku 2015 Closing Ceremony set to dazzle

As the curtain comes down on the first ever European Games, it is time to celebrate

On Sunday afternoon, the last Baku 2015 gold medals will be awarded, bringing to an end 17 days of intense competition in the Azerbaijani capital.

As the focus of the Baku 2015 Games shifts back to the Olympic Stadium for the Closing Ceremony, Europe’s athletes will reflect upon an unforgettable experience in an equally memorable setting beside the Caspian Sea.

The European Games will have ended, but their spirit lives on – and to ensure the flame never goes out in the hearts of all who have shared in this experience, the Olympic Stadium is preparing to host its second mesmerising ceremony.

More than 20.5 million man-hours went into building the stadium, and on Sunday evening it will once again buzz with the emotion of the Games coming to a close, and crackle to the sound of 10,000 pyrotechnics filling the sky.

More facts about the Baku 2015 Closing Ceremony –

• 250 metres: length of aerial lines across the stadium, with a capacity to carry 7.5 tons
• 450m2  of LED floor tiles used on the three stages
• 500+ truckloads of freight and 100 tons of airfreight from 20 countries to create the Ceremony
• 800 speakers and 25km of cabling for the sound system
• 2,000+ lighting fixtures
• 12,000+ ear pieces and 180,000+ recycled batteries used by the cast and crew
• 20.5 million man hours spent building the new Olympic Stadium since work began in June 2011
• 10,000 pyrotechnics
• 5,000 hours of preparation on-site have gone into creating the evening’s spectacular pyrotechnics displays
• 200 hours of programming to sychronise the fireworks with the music
• 120 pyrotechnic launch pads on the stadium roof