With much “nervousness,” Colombian singer Sebastián Yatra will perform at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, where he will be the main star. “Singing at an opening ceremony, of course, makes one nervous (…) and knowing that you are one of the main parts of that presentation always leaves big shoes to fill,” Yatra said at a press conference in the National Stadium.
In addition to his performance, Yatra mentioned that he will stay an extra day in Santiago to attend the diving and swimming competitions. “The issue of diving has always scared me a lot, and everything related to swimming, but I would have liked to be a swimmer in another life,” added the Colombian, one of the most well-known singers in Latin America.
The artist caused a sensation even among the athletes at the National Stadium. Mexican diver Gabriela Agúndez, an Olympic medalist from Tokyo 2020, rushed to take a photo with the singer. “I am happy, very excited, and the truth is that seeing him up close, even if it’s just for a few seconds, makes me very happy,” Agúndez celebrated.
Everything ready for the ceremony
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, October 20, starting at 8:30 PM local time (12:30 AM GMT on Saturday), in the main coliseum of the National Stadium in the capital. The National Stadium will become the main sports arena of the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games, covering an area of 64 hectares with facilities to host various disciplines.
All 40,000 tickets for the opening of the 2023 Pan American Games were sold out in just three hours, attracted by a show that will also feature Chilean bands Los Tres, Los Bunkers, Los Jaivas, and rapper Anita Tijoux. The musical spectacle will kick off Santiago 2023, the most significant sporting event Chile has hosted since the 1962 World Cup and the 2015 Copa America.
The show “will feature more than 5,000 dancers, actors, parades, and other types of urban artists,” according to the producer Lotus. Organizers expect around 100,000 tourists to arrive in the country, generating revenues of $120 million.
The Pan American Games will feature classic sports such as athletics, swimming, and gymnastics, as well as other disciplines like ‘breaking dance,’ skateboarding, and more. It is expected that nearly 7,000 athletes from 41 countries will compete in around fifty sports, with 21 of them providing direct qualification to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
