The closing ceremony for the 2017 Summer Universiade, the largest global sporting event ever staged in Taiwan, will feature a wide array of dance and music performances and conclude with a light show produced by a team of solar-powered robots, the Taipei Summer Universiade Organizing Committee announced July 17.
According to the games’ creative director Akibo Lee, the closing ceremony will be an opportunity to thank all the athletes and participants of the Universiade. The occasion will also spotlight contemporary Taiwan culture, including dance and music, he added.
Lee said the team of nine robots, each ranging from 1.5 to 4 meters tall, will show the world Taiwan is an advanced nation that values sustainable technology. The robots will be performing alongside Formosa Circus Art, formed in 2012 with the goal of developing contemporary circus acts.
Other closing ceremony performers include Taiwan singer Lala Hsu, indigenous musicians Jia Jia, Samingad and Abao, local rock band The Chairman as well as an exciting lineup of dance groups and electronic music DJs, according to event organizers. The first part of the ceremony will feature quintessential aspects of Taiwan culture, while the second will focus on the theme of looking toward the future, Lee said.
The Universiade is set to take place Aug. 19-30, with ticket sales reflecting people’s enthusiasm for the event, the committee noted, adding that tickets for the opening ceremony sold out within a month. As of July 14, more than 110,000 tickets had been sold for various competitions.
To thank the people of Taiwan for their support, the organizing committee announced that during the Universiade, spectators can participate in daily lucky draws for NT$8.5 million (US$280,000) in prizes.
Also known as the World University Games, the Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival staged every two years in a different city worldwide. The 29th edition of the games in Taipei City involves 7,700-plus student athletes from 153 countries contesting 21 sports at 38 competition venues in Taipei, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, New Taipei and Taoyuan cities. (KWS-E)
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