Watching the world go ’round. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Bookending the Games were opening and closing ceremonies featuring an impressive cast of musicians, including Jelly Roll, Katy Perry, Chris Martin and The Barenaked Ladies.
Here are 40 pictures from the beginning and end of the Invictus Games 2025.
Flag bearer Adria Brochu and teammate Michael Drover lead the Canadian team into the opening ceremonies in Vancouver. [Stephen J. Thorne]
British team members are all in during opening ceremonies at BC Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The South Korean team ascends the stage at BC Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Nelly Furtado opens the entertainment portion of the ceremonies at BC Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Victoria, B.C., native Nelly Furtado leads off string of stellar performances at BC Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Nelly Furtado performs alongside Mattmac, a blind recording artist from Garden Hill, Man. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Nino Lolashvili, a family member from Georgia, takes a selfie during the opening ceremonies. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Coldplay’s Chris Martin sings the Invictus anthem and performs several other numbers at the opening ceremonies.[Stephen J. Thorne]
Born in England, Martin was married to Gwyneth Paltrow for 13 years and is now wedded to Dakota Johnson. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Chris Martin’s mom is a music teacher. [Stephen J. Thorne]
MCpl James Gendron of 8 Wing Pipes and Drums team performs solo at the opening ceremonies. Gendron also participated in the 2023 Invictus Games in Düsseldorf, Germany, where Prince Harry delivered a heartfelt speech paying tribute to him for piping at 63 ramp ceremonies. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Oleksii Tiunin, 37, of Ukraine, who lost a leg fighting the Russian war in August 2023, carries the Invictus Flag into the opening ceremonies at BC Place in Vancouver. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Canadian team co-captain Kiernan Underwood takes the Invictus flag from the stage during the Games’ opening ceremonies at BC Place in Vancouver. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Katy Perry belts it out during the opening ceremonies. Her first album, under her maiden name Katy Hudson, was all-gospel. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Katy Perry on point. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Singing along with Katy Perry. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Katy Perry sings to the heavens. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Katy Perry made a grand entrance in the company of a Canadian military marching band. [Stephen J. Thorne]
WO1 Alice-Xinyue Pu of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets recites the Invictus Poem at the closing ceremonies. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Quebec singer Marie-Mai Bouchard performs during the closing ceremonies at Rogers Centre. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Marie-Mai’s first foray into music was as a pianist and musical theatre performer. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Marie-Mai also performed at the the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and on Canada Day 2009 at Parliament Hill. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The Man In Motion, Rick Hansen, delivers inspiring words to the Invictus athletes. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The American duo The War And Treaty delivers a soulful performance at the closing ceremonies. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The Washington, D.C.-based husband-and-wife duo of singer-songwriters Michael and Tanya Trotter combine southern soul, blues, folk, rock, gospel and country. [Stephen J. Thorne]
In 2023, they became the first Black duo to be nominated for the Country Music Association Award for Duo of the Year and the first Black duo to be nominated for the Academy of Country Music Award for Duo of the Year. [Stephen J. Thorne]
The Canadian Military Wives Choirs and the Universal Gospel Choir performs at the closing ceremonies in Vancouver. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Grammy-nominated Jelly Roll brought his poignant inspiring blend of country music, country rock, country rap, and Southern hip-hop to the closing ceremonies at Rogers Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Born Jason Bradley DeFord in Nashville, Jelly Roll began his career in 2003 and rose to mainstream prominence in 2023, when he won New Artist at the CMA Awards, and was nominated for Best New Artist at the 66th Annual Grammys. [Stephen J. Thorne]
From his teenage years into his 20s, DeFord was arrested several times and spent time in jail for various charges and felonies. While imprisoned, he earned his GED at age 23. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jelly Roll has been married to wife Alyssa DeFord, known as “Bunnie XO,” since 2016. Here, he sidles up to his band’s lead guitarist, Jack Fowler. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jelly Roll was an Invictus Games favourite. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jelly Roll sings at Rogers Place. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jelly Roll concludes a stellar performance in Vancouver. [Stephen J. Thorne]
If I had a million dollars…. [Stephen J. Thorne]
An original, Kevin Hearn of Barenaked Ladies performs. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Jim Creeggan and drummer Tyler Stewart of Barenaked Ladies perform at the closing ceremonies. The group was formed in 1988 in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies calls it a wrap. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Chloë Angus, a Canadian who lost the use of her legs after a tumour damaged her spine, demonstrates Human in Motion Robotics’ groundbreaking XoMotion exoskeleton at the closing ceremonies. [Stephen J. Thorne]
Prince Harry imparts a final word. [Stephen J. Thorne]
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