Vancouver waves goodbye to Invictus Games 2025 with star-studded closing ceremony

Nine days of intense competition, mental fortitude and team spirit have been brought to an end with the Invictus Games 2025 closing ceremony.

Hosted in Vancouver and Whistler, the 2025 Games were the first to include winter sports since Prince Harry co-founded the biennial competition in 2014.

Sixty-two British competitors formed a team made up of wounded, injured and sick Armed Forces personnel and veterans, joining 500 competitors from 23 nations.

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For Team UK, it was the largest collection of serving personnel in the team's history and they leave North America with a haul of 38 medals.

Invictus Games' co-founder Prince Harry and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were among those to pay tribute to competitors as they sat in the audience at the closing ceremony.

Performances from musical artists, including Marie-Mai, The War & Treaty, Jelly Roll, and Barenaked Ladies, contributed to a lively atmosphere at the arena, as organisers and spectators began to turn their attention to the 2027 games in Birmingham.

The 2025 edition, which concluded on Sunday, was described as the best Games to date by outgoing Invictus Games Foundation (IGF) CEO Dominic Reid.

His praise for Canada's successful hosting sets a high benchmark for Birmingham, but his successor remains confident in the UK's ability to deliver an outstanding event.

Helen Helliwell, who previously worked at the Ministry of Defence for more than 20 years, has highlighted the city's strong connection to wounded military personnel, making it an ideal host for the prestigious event.

The 2027 CEO emphasised the significance of Birmingham's role in supporting injured service members as the UK formally takes over from Canada as host nation.

"The connection is real, particularly for the wounded and sick military community," she said.