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Fireworks light up the stadium during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on September 9, 2012.

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Performers with flame throwers burn the grass in the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony.

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Singer Rihanna performs during the closing ceremony.

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Swimmer Ellie Simmonds of Great Britain, right, who won four medals during the Games, enjoys the atmosphere with fellow Team GB Paralympians during the closing ceremony.

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Jay-Z performs with Coldplay during the closing ceremony. The stars were paid a nominal one pound ($1.60) to play.

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Circus artists enter the stadium from the air.

The Associated Press reports — Farewell, London. Good luck matching that, Rio.

 Coldplay, Rihanna and Jay-Z rocked the Olympic Stadium on Sunday night to give the biggest-ever Paralympic Games a rousing send-off, wrapping up an unforgettable summer of sports in Britain.

 The three-hour party at the packed 80,000-seat arena in east London gave the world a chance to celebrate 11 days of Paralympic competition that have shifted perceptions and shattered stereotypes about the disabled.

 "In this country, we will never think of sport the same way and we will never think of disability the same way," said Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London organizing committee. "The Paralympians have lifted the cloud of limitation." Read the full story. 

Related content:

• 'Meet the Superhumans': Paralympians burst onto world stage
• Look back at the best images from the opening ceremony
• London 2012's legacy under the spotlight
• Race car driver who cheated death wins 3 medals
• More images from the Paralympic Games on PhotoBlog

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Fireworks explode during the finale of the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, Aug. 12.

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Melanie Brown, Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls perform during the Closing Ceremony.

After many long days, the London 2012 Olympic Games have finally drawn to an end. With names like the Spice Girls and The Who, you should not miss the Closing Ceremony (I'm not admitting I like the Spice Girls, just saying you should not miss the show). However, it is good to look back at the past couple weeks.

There have been many ups and downs along the way for the athletes and fans. Jumps of joy and tears of defeat were abundant. Returning athletes like Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt defended their titles, while rising stars like Missy Franklin shone in the Olympic spotlight for the first time. There were heartbreaking moments as well, like watching runner Morgan Uceny fall while competing in the 1500 meter race.

These exciting events are now on pause for a little while, but they will return. Part of the Closing Ceremony involves a hand off to the next host of the summer games, which will be Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Read more about the Closing Ceremony.

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Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, right, holds the Olympic Flag next to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, left, and IOC President Jacques Rogge at the Olympic stadium during the Closing Ceremony. Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympic Games.LEON NEAL/AFP/GettyImages

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Brazilian street dancer Renato Sorriso, left, performs during the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games.

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Brazil's 'cidade maravilhosa' (marvelous city) steps into the international spotlight as it prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Explore some of the sights the city offers.

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