Music and Cultural Performances at the 2009 East Asian Games

Only one song is confirmed: 'Be the Legend'. The theme song was performed live at the opening event on 5 December 2009 at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. The official programme and host broadcaster records do not publish a full playlist for either the opening or the closing ceremony. The closing event at Hong Kong Coliseum on 13 December ran a shorter, handover-focused programme. The mascots Dony and Ami appeared at both.

The confirmed cultural programme was split across two events. The opening at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground carried the bulk of the performance segment. The closing at Hong Kong Coliseum was built around the handover to the next host and a shorter performance block. The EAGOC did not release a minute-by-minute as-executed programme to the public. Host broadcaster records show the opening ran for roughly two hours and the closing for ninety minutes.

Ignore The Rehearsal Schedules

Secondary sources often quote the planned cultural segment as if it was the one actually performed. The rehearsal schedule included items that were cut or reordered on the night. The as-executed programme is what the host broadcaster captured. If you need the definitive sequence, request the host broadcaster's master tape log from the EAGOC archive. Do not settle for a newspaper preview.

The opening centred on 'Be the Legend'. It was written for the Games and performed live at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground. The EAGOC used the song across all branding and merchandise, so its role in the opening is the one performance element no source disputes.

Beyond that, the host broadcaster records confirm a torch relay segment with celebrity torchbearers before the cauldron lighting. The names of the torchbearers and the specific music played during the relay are not published in the result book.

The Cultural Performance Segment

The opening's cultural segment included a large cast of volunteer performers. The EAGOC described it as representing the nine participating delegations and Hong Kong's role as host. The official programme does not list individual performers or musical works. If you are compiling a ceremony archive, treat the theme song and the torch relay as confirmed. Everything else needs host broadcaster footage to verify.

The closing at Hong Kong Coliseum on 13 December 2009 used a different structure. The EAGOC designed it as a handover to the next host, not a second full cultural segment. Host broadcaster records show it included a flag handover, a short performance block, and the extinguishing of the Games flame. The names of the performers and the songs used are not in the public record.

This is the most thinly documented part of the 2009 Games music record. The surviving programme evidence is the EAGOC's post-Games report. It lists the event's duration and its handover function but not a performance order. If you need the closing performances for research, the only checkable source is the host broadcaster archive. It is held by the rights-holding broadcaster and not openly accessible.

'Be the Legend' was the official slogan of the 2009 East Asian Games. The theme song built on that slogan was performed at the opening. Full credits, including composer and lyricist, are not published in the result book. The EAGOC used the slogan across all branding, merchandise, and ceremony materials. The mascots Dony and Ami appeared alongside the theme song presentation.

The theme song is the one music element that links every ceremony record. The closing did not repeat the full performance, but the slogan appeared in the handover visuals. To find the song itself, start with the EAGOC's official ceremony footage rather than a commercial music archive. The song was produced for the Games and may not have had a separate commercial release.

The biggest gap is the actual setlist. The official programme and host broadcaster records confirm the structure of each event, the theme song, and the mascot appearances. They do not publish the names of individual songs, instrumental works, or performers in the cultural segments. The EAGOC described the artistic symbolism in general terms: the opening represented the host city's identity, the torch relay brought the flame through Hong Kong districts, and the closing handed over to the next host.

Rehearsal Vs. As-Executed

This gap matters because secondary sources often fill it with rehearsal schedules. A rehearsal schedule lists what was planned, not what happened. The as-executed programme is the only version that counts for an archive. If a source claims a specific artist performed or a specific song was played, check whether it cites the host broadcaster tape log or the rehearsal schedule. The former is evidence. The latter is not.