Football fans heading to the stadium on Sunday 2 July are looking forward to an exciting FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 Final between Chile and Germany, but the prelude is set to be no less memorable. At 19:15 local time, the Closing Ceremony of this year’s Tournament of Champions will highlight the beautiful city of Saint Petersburg, honour previous winners of the tournament and feature two-time FIFA World Cup™ winner Ronaldo.
The clock tower on the Peter and Paul Fortress will begin the spectacle by sending the audience back in time to 1897, when the Venice of the North was at the heart of the golden age of ballet in the country. Russian icon Nikolay Tsiskaridze, rector of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, will lend his unique expertise for this section.
The entire ceremony is inspired by the idea of a carnival procession, when one act is quickly followed up by another. Almost 1,500 people will be involved – performers, musicians and dancers from different cities – and spectators will be treated to a mix of classic and modern dance, pantomime, circus acts and hip hop.
Football will also play an important role in the spectacle, as enormous footballer puppets representing the countries that have won previous editions of the tournament will be paraded on the stage. After that, one of the most famous players ever to win the Confederations Cup, FIFA legend and two-time FIFA World Cup winner Ronaldo, will bring the coveted winners’ trophy out into the stadium.
“I am delighted to be back at the Confederations Cup,” said Ronaldo, who won the 1997 edition in Saudi Arabia. “But, more importantly, it is great to come back to Russia and to see everything working so well with the tournament. I have no doubt that the country will organise an incredible World Cup next year.”
The director of the performance, Felix Mikhailov, believes the opening and closing ceremonies have been devised in such a way that has never been done before at the Confederations Cup, involving so many people, music and different performances.
“It will be a memorable and powerful show and we want fans to watch it live. Arrive early, enjoy the show and get into an excellent mood by being part of the ceremony”, he said.
The show’s finale will see Polina Gagarina and Egor Kreed sing a song written by DJ Smash, dedicated to the participants of the tournament and everyone who helped to organise it.
Come to the stadium early on 2 July to enjoy a fantastic performance and superb football in the Confederations Cup Final!
