The city that breathed new life into the Commonwealth Games has wrapped them up with a "thank you" and a fond and spectacular farewell.

The Melbourne Games closing ceremony showcased Australian musical talent from John Farnham to Grinspoon, celebrated the nation's cosmopolitan culture and revealed some of the host city's most enduring icons to the rest of the Commonwealth.

Whether they quite grasped the significance of an old woman with purple hair carrying on about "possums", or of that Aussie Rules classic of Alex Jesaulenko soaring for the most famous mark in the game, is doubtful.

But at least the Opening Ceremony duck only made a short appearance.

The show's creator's promised an "unabashed celebration of Melbourne and the Games" underpinned by a variety show theme.

They delivered it with style, imagination and a pyrotechnic display to rival Sydney's millennium special.

Unfortunately for home viewers, the quality of the sound on the television broadcast was initially reasonably poor.

But for those watching at the MCG, the show went on without missing a beat as organisers embraced not only Melbourne, but all of Australia - and the next Games' host, India.

The most lavish handover segment ever staged at an Olympic or Commonwealth Games closing ceremony kept the entertainment theme going by bringing Bollywood to the MCG.

Having missed the mark with the duck, organisers took no risks here, knocking back the Indian request for elephants and tigers to be part of their show.

In a tribute to Australia's multi-cultural history, 450 people entered the arena carrying life size pictures of their immigrant forebears.

But most of all, the closing ceremony was a vibrant cabaret, rock concert and variety show wrapped around Melbourne.

It had real footballers performing a pas de deux with real ballerinas, in a representation of the Games logo, a symbolic horse race to represent the Melbourne Cup and Dame Edna Everage, representing herself.

Most of all, though, it had a host of the nation's finest entertainers.

The Flying Fruit Fly Circus, Sarah Blasko, Grinspoon, Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions, Ben Lee, The Bodyrockers and the several-time retired John Farnham.

Having conceded that the opening ceremony might have had some "oblique and ethereal" aspects, the organisers provided some more of the same.

A skit about Melbourne's fickle weather will have been difficult for those at the ground to comprehend, if for no other reason than the Games have basked in two weeks of perfect autumn sunshine.

Melbourne's "Skipping Girl" neon sign is well known in its home town, but has absolutely no meaning to anyone else.

A less subtle gimmick of the show was a globe of the world which showed Australia at the top.

But any obscurity got washed away by the slick and polished performances and the technically outstanding production.

The entertainment aside, the closing ceremony also paid suitable tribute to the volunteers, the organisers and, most of all, the athletes.

From among the 4,500 who competed in Melbourne Indian shooter Samaresh Jung was named as the outstanding athlete of the Games.

As ceremonies such as this are compelled to do, this one included the formalities - and invariably included the supreme pat on the back.

It was delivered by Commonwealth Games Federation President Mike Fennell, who concluded his official duties with the signoff: "Melbourne, you are simply the best."

For Delhi, the next Games host city, the tribute was no doubt regarded as a temporary one.

The capital city of the world's largest democracy provided its own sample of the "best" in a cultural and sporting showpiece that promised as much as Melbourne had just delivered.

As well as entertainers who are revered like none other in the world, the Indian handover segment featured the cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, probably the only two people in Melbourne who had appeared before such an MCG crowd.

The cavalcade of Indian film and singing stars were followed by their Australian equivalent, Dame Edna.

Australia's unofficial first lady might have puzzled viewers in Cameroon and Lesotho, but she - and 1,000 lookalikes with electric gladioli - fitted perfectly into a night that was all about fun.

In the end, John Farnham bought it home and sent them off with a performance that was at least the 10th since he sang in public for the last time.

As always, though, it was a good one.

As were Melbourne's Commonwealth Games.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP