Mediterranean Games organisers had promised a fiesta and they were as good as their word. 

It was a mixture of traditional Catalan music, gospel choirs, latino and even techno.

Tarragona 2018 President Josep Felix Ballesteros spoke entirely in Catalan and greeted "brothers and sisters of the Mediterranean". 

He also made a clear reference to the refugee crisis in his speech.

International Mediterranean Games Committee (ICMG) President Amar Addadi told the crowd: "These moments we have spent together in Tarragona have been fabulous. 

"There is a gold medal for all the towns which have staged these Games."

It fell to him to formally declare the Games closed.

"I invite the sporting family of the Mediterranean to come together in Oran in 2021," he said.

Just as at the Opening Ceremony, proceedings began with the entry of Tarracus, the Games mascot, or to be precise nine of them, all decorated with different designs in the brightest colours. 

Throughout the preceding week , they had been on display at locations around Tarragona.

One even greeted visitors to the covered market in the city centre.

A single volunteer entered with the red and yellow city flag of Tarragona to Catalan music by So Nat Grallers de Tarragona - performers on the tradition gralles - wind instruments - and timbal - drum.

Mayor Ballesteros said groups of castellers - the local tradition of building human towers - had been invited to take part "but they did not want to do so because they did not want to perform in a football stadium".

Even so, there was more Catalan culture to come.

Two dancers Marina Rodriguez and Lautaro Reyes dressed all in white then took centre stage for Santanova, the music of Santi Arisa which fused traditional Catalan elements with contemporary styles.

Then came the formal part of the Ceremony.

The opening bars of the Olympic anthem by Spiros Samaras rang around the Stadium as the flag bearers, led according to tradition by Greece, took their places on the centre stage followed by the remainder of the athletes.

Their arrival was televised in the live broadcast. 

The organisers here were not likely to make the same mistake as Commonwealth Games organisers in the Gold Coast who scheduled the arrival of the athletes before the live television programme began.

Taekwondo’s Jorge Fernandez carried the Spanish flag.

As they entered, the athletes danced to the music of DJs Albert Neve and Abel Ramos performing on the decks. 

This was an idea first used at the 2004 Olympics in Athens when it was DJ Tiesto who mixed the music.

The Portuguese seemed particulary taken with the thumping sounds and had to be moved on by a stage manager, but they started a trend, the Cypriots, then Monaco and the Italians all wanted their photo.

What the International Olympic Committee would have thought back in the days of President Avery Brundage is anyone's guess. 

Competitors then were forbidden to have cameras. 

Here, one of the Algerians even had a tablet. 

The Algerians paused to greet the party from 2021 host city Oran, all watching from the grandstand.

If there is one shortcoming to the Mediterranean Games ceremony, it is that it lacks a symbol with quite the impact of the Olympic Flame.

It did have one in the early years when an Amphora of sea water was relayed to the Games to set a fountain in motion for the duration. 

Perhaps there is case for reviving the ritual? 

"It would be the decision of the [Local] Organising Committee," said Addadi.

"We have customs related to the concept of water. 

"The water from different countries pour into the Mediterranean and this is something we have used as a metaphor."

"This is the Age of Aquarius," sang the Barcelona Gospel messengers as the theme of the waters of the Med was continued.

The Games flag bearing three interlocked white rings on a pale blue background was slowly lowered to the strains of a march written by Antoni Torrent, Professor of Music at the Conservatori de Musica de la Diputacio in Tarragona. 

It was trooped to the centre of the Stadium by the Guardia Urbana de Gala wearing full ceremonial uniform.

There it was passed from Mayor Ballesteros to ICMG President Addadi. 

Finally it was presented to the Mayor of Oran, Noureddine Boukhatem, who told the crowd: "My friends of the Mediterranean I invite you to Oran, salaam alaikum."

Images of preparations in the Algerian city filled the giant screen with a message "Welcome to Oran".

Addadi insisted: "We are extremely happy with the metamorphosis that the city has undergone."

There was time for a performance by the Tribu Urbana, a school for Urban dance and then some mysterious figures appeared wearing hooded caps. 

They soon threw these off to reveal themselves as Brodas Bros, a hip hop ensemble in costumes bedecked with LED lights which changed colours by turn.

Singer Alvaro Soler led the grand finale, the volunteers ran on to the field to lead the dancing. 

Many in the crowd waved flashlights in time to the music and Tarracus the mascot even led a conga. 

It was that sort of evening.