Rio 2016 is going to bow out with a party to remember on the night of Sunday (21 August).

The legendary Maracanã stadium will play host to one of the most famous of Rio's hundreds of Carnival street parties, the Cordão da Bola Preta, which every year fills the city centre with more than a million revellers.

As well as a Carnival flavour, there will also be a special tribute to the mythical Brazilian actress, singer and dancer Carmen Miranda (1909-1955). Current Samba star Roberta Sá will be involved in the special homage to one of Brazil's most enduring cultural exports.

Whereas the opening ceremony was characterised by high concept performances and by an environmental message, there will be more of a street feeling to the closing ceremony.

"The idea is to talk about the art made by the people, so of course Carnival is a must," expains creative director Rosa Magalhães.

"No other city in the world has an official anthem that is actually a Carnival tune (Cidade Maravilhosa). Carnival simply has to be at the end (of the Games)."

Rosa Magalhães is the creative brains behind the closing ceremony (Photo: Rio 2016/Julio Stotz)

As well as being a well-known artist, Magalhães directs the Imperatriz carnival school in Rio, which has won five titles in recent years for the best performance at the annual parade.

There will be plenty of skin on show at the ceremony, Magalhães promises, but not the full frontal nudity that characterises some dancers in the Carnival parade.

As well as the pleasures of the flesh and the delights of Brazilian popular culture, the closing ceremony will also pay tribute to landscaping genius Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994).

Less well known outside Brazil than architect Oscar Niemeyer, but just as innovative, Burle Marx designed Flamengo Park and the famous mosaic that runs along the boulevard by Copacabana beach.

Burle Marx was also an early conservationist and defender of the rainforest. At the closing ceremony, his work will be remembered with a huge 'garden' of dancers dressed as tropical plants. Lena Santana, one of the costume designers, says that the 'precise and closed' colours of this section of the ceremony will contrast with the gaudy glitter of the carnival section.

Costume designer Lena Santana, is promising a very chic Carnival (Photo: Rio 2016/Julio Stotz)

Tokyo time

Just as at the closing ceremony of London 2012, Rio de Janeiro put in a guest appearance, so this year Tokyo will make a special eight-minute presentation.

The public in the Maracanã, and watching on television around the world, will see a mixture of cultural traditions and technological innovations from Japan.

"We want to show not just the people of Rio but of the whole world that we are excited to host the Games in 2020," says Hidemasa Nakamura, director of planning the show.

Hidemasa Nakamura, executive director of planning for the Toklyo show. (Photo: Rio 2016/Julio Stotz)

"First of all we want to say thank you very much for all the support we received at the time of the tsunami in 2011," Nakamura says. "We will talk about our sadness. Sport will then be at the heart of the party celebrating our recovery and all the attractions that we have in Tokyo,"