The opening ceremony of the 2025 Invictus Games for injured military and service personnel took place at Vancouver’s BC Place Saturday.
The opening ceremony’s star-studded lineup featured artists Katy Perry, Roxane Bruneau, Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, but the show began with a welcome from the four First Nations on whose territory the games are taking place.
Leaders of the Lil̓wat7ul (Lil̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations raised paddles as a sign of welcome, accompanied by singers and drummers performing a welcome song.
Next, competitors from each of the 23 competing countries entered the stadium in the Parade of Nations, as performers waved blue fabric representing the ocean and dolphin and whale balloons flew above the crowd.
“These games are a testament to the courage and fighting spirit of personnel in uniform. Those who serve their country have faced battles that many of us cannot even begin to imagine,” said Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, addressing the ceremony.
“You show us that human beings can be strong enough to overcome adversity, even trauma. Each of you competing in these games exemplifies the strength and resilience found in the journey of recovery.”
Stars kick off the games
The first star to take the stage was Victoria native Nelly Furtado, who sang a medley of some of her hits including “I’m Like a Bird,” joined by blind artist Mattmac and breakdance group ILL-Abilities, who use crutches to dance.
Singer Roxanne Bruneau from Quebec performed with dancers selected from studios across the Lower Mainland.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin offered acoustic renditions of smash hit “Viva la Vida,” as well as the Invictus Games Anthem—which he composed—and a lesser-known from the band called “Higher Power,” which he said represented the strength of the athletes.
Martin thanked Prince Harry for inviting him to perform at the opening ceremony, joking that the Duke of Sussex called him and said “every other musician in the world” told the prince they weren’t available.
Singer-songwriter Noah Kahan performed “Northern Attitude” and “Stick Season,” remarking that the event will show everyone in the stands and watching from home that “they can be brave too.”
The musical acts closed out with pop mega-star Katy Perry, singing a medley of inspirational hits such as “Roar,” “Part of Me,” and “Firework.”
‘You saved yourself’: Prince Harry makes speech
Invictus Games founder Prince Harry offered words of encouragement to competitors in an eight-minute speech toward the end of the ceremony.
He said the games were born out of a promise he made to himself following his own decade-long military service—during which he deployed to Afghanistan—to help fellow veterans heal and “champion everything that we stand for.”
The Duke of Sussex spoke about coming together during a time of “difficulty and division” in many parts of the world. “Here at the Invictus Games, we are grounded in mutual respect, competing fiercely, but believing in one another, supporting one another and rooting for one another,” he said.
The prince said he’s heard time and time again from participants that the sporting event has saved them. “Respectfully, I disagree. Invictus didn’t save you; you saved yourself,” Harry said.
“The games simply reveal what is already within you, that scarcest and most precious of the world’s resources: character, a spirit of fortitude and perseverance that can never be defeated. That is the magic of the Invictus Games.”
He ended with a call for competitors to “show the world your fearlessness” and set an example of courage and resilience.
‘Our countries are having a moment right now’: Eby addresses American veterans
“We’ve had an eventful month here in Canada,” B.C. Premier David Eby said at the opening of his speech, to laughter from the crowd.
He took a moment to thank Canadian Armed Forces members for their help during recent wildfires and floods, and dubbed all visiting veterans honourary Canadians, saying “You’ve got that Canadian spirit inside of you; it’s amazing.”
Eby then addressed the elephant in the room, so to speak, stating that the U.S. and Canada are “having a moment right now,” without directly referencing the pending tariff war and annexation threats from President Donald Trump.
“There is not a Canadian that does not know that our soldiers have fought and died and cried and celebrated beside Americans for generations,” he said. “And I’ll tell you, as a politician, that it doesn’t matter what the politicians say, because if you need us, you just say the word, U.S.A., and you know what, if we ever need you, and it came down to it, I know you’d be there in a second.”
Looking ahead
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, founded the Games in 2014 for wounded, injured or sick service personnel and veterans.
Up to 550 athletes from 23 nations take part in 11 adaptive sports in Whistler and Vancouver, and several of the events will take place in the same venues that hosted the 2010 Olympic Games.
This year is the first time the Games will feature winter sports, including the skeleton, skiing events and wheelchair curling, alongside indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball events as it has previously.
Event producer Patrick Roberge says organizers are excited to host the first hybrid Games, adding that four First Nations are co-hosts, representing the “shared healing journey of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.”
“The general theme of the ceremonies will be ‘paddle together.’ It is also symbolic of our community coming together and hosting these Games,” Roberge told a media briefing on Thursday. “It’s (an) unbelievable response that we’ve been getting, not only from artists, but from the local community.”
This year marks the seventh Games, and the second time they have been held in Canada. Toronto previously acted as host in 2017.
The Games run until Feb. 16, and will conclude with a closing ceremony at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena that will feature artists including country singer Jelly Roll and Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies.
With files from Brieanna Charlebois of The Canadian Press and CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday
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