The XXV Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo will officially conclude on Saturday, August 8, with a closing ceremony marking the end of 16 days of international sports competition across the Dominican Republic.
Scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. at the Arena Banreservas Virgilio Travieso Soto, the event will feature a central performance by Dominican singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra.
Organizers conceived the ceremony as a tribute to athletes, coaches, judges, technical officials, sports leaders, volunteers, and collaborators who made the event possible. The program also highlights the role of sport as a space for regional integration between countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
First held in 1926 in Mexico City, the Central American and Caribbean Games represent the oldest regional multi-sport competition in the world recognized by the International Olympic Committee. The 2026 staging in Santo Domingo marks the 100th anniversary of the quadrennial event, bringing together thousands of competitors from dozens of nations across the region.
Artistic production and musical highlights
The final spectacle will combine live musical performances, audiovisual displays, and official protocol segments reviewing the most representative moments of Santo Domingo 2026. Production teams will showcase broadcast imagery from athletic competitions, inaugural events, and human interest stories that marked this centennial edition.
The overall narrative of the production centers on athletic effort, peaceful coexistence, and cultural exchange among all participating national delegations.
During the artistic finale, Juan Luis Guerra will take the stage to perform "Canto a la Patria", a musical work he composed and donated to the Dominican State in 2006. His presentation serves as a special tribute to the host nation within the framework of the centenary celebrations.
Guerra is one of the most internationally acclaimed Latin music artists, celebrated for popularizing Dominican merengue and bachata worldwide. Born in Santo Domingo, the musician has earned multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards over a career spanning four decades.
Volunteers and stage leadership
The closing production is directed by Dominican producer Alberto Zayas and will include a formal recognition of the event's volunteer workforce. Organizers emphasized that volunteer work was crucial to operating sports venues and assisting athletes, technical officials, and visiting spectators throughout the competition.
Zayas is an established Dominican television director and event producer, widely known for directing major national broadcasts and entertainment award shows. The host venue, Arena Banreservas Virgilio Travieso Soto, is an indoor sports arena located within the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center in Santo Domingo, named in honor of Dominican basketball pioneer Virgilio Travieso Soto.
Official protocol and handover ceremony
In accordance with official protocol established by Centro Caribe Sports, the ceremony will feature the traditional parade of national delegations remaining in the country. The proceedings will continue with the lowering of the official Games flag, the ceremonial extinguishing of the cauldron flame, and the symbolic handover to the next host city.
Centro Caribe Sports, formerly known as the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization, is the regional governing body responsible for overseeing the organization of the Games and coordinating with member Olympic committees.
Organizing Committee president José Monegro said that the closing ceremony seeks to recognize the collective effort that made holding the Games possible. Monegro added that the event is intended to project the lasting legacy of an edition that coincided with the 100th anniversary of the regional sports competition.
