Invictus Games 2025 kick off with star-studded opening ceremony in Vancouver

The 2025 Invictus Games for injured military and service personnel have kicked off in Vancouver with a star-studded opening ceremony featuring artists Katy Perry, Roxane Bruneau, Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado and Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Event producer Patrick Roberge says it is the most "headliner stars" the sporting event has ever seen, adding there are about 800 people who will perform for a crowd of around 40,000 at B.C. Place.

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 are taking part in 11 adaptive sports in Whistler and Vancouver, with several of the events to 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 had previously.

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."

He noted that Chris Martin, who penned the Invictus Games anthem for the first Games in 2014, was set to perform the song live for the first time at Saturday's opening ceremony.

"We're thrilled for that," Roberge said. "That's going to be a great moment in the