Highlights from the 2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony
The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics concluded its 19-day competition on Aug. 11 with a grand finale at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, attracting approximately 71,500 spectators.
The first part of the program showcased performances celebrating the host country and French culture, while the latter half adopted a more “Hollywood” style, foreshadowing the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach commended the athletes for their “exceptional performances.”
“Your performances were amazing. You competed fiercely against each other. Every contest on the edge of perfection. Every performance sparking excitement around the world. You showed us what greatness we humans are capable of.”
Here’s a summary of the highlights from the 2024 closing ceremony.
The music
The closing ceremony provided a platform for France’s top musical talents to shine. Fans were enthralled by Phoenix, the Grammy Award-winning rock band from Versailles, as they performed hits like “Lisztomania,” “If I Ever Feel Better,” and “1901.”
However, professional musicians weren’t the only singers at the event. A segment of the closing ceremony titled “Athlete Karaoke,” saw the world’s best athletes belting out Queen’s “We Are the Champions” after entering the stadium.
The dancing
Following the parade of approximately 9,000 athletes into the stadium, a captivating interpretive dance unfolded, honoring “the power of diversity and solidarity.”
Giant rings were rolled out to symbolize the formation of the Olympic rings, with performers executing handstands within these colossal structures.
Alain Roche played the piano vertically while suspended in the air.
The Hollywood treatment
To signify the passing of the torch to the next Summer Olympics host city, Los Angeles, Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee, handed the Olympic flag to Karen Bass, the first female mayor of Los Angeles. , was on stage to represent the U.S. for the handoff. Then five-time Grammy Award winner known as “H.E.R.” sang the national anthem.
Cameras shifted to Tom Cruise, who was positioned on a ledge atop the stadium. He was lowered to the stage using cables. He exchanged greetings with Bass and gymnast Simone Biles, who entrusted the Olympic flag to Cruise. He attached it to the back of a motorcycle and sped off. Pre-recorded footage of Cruise cruising through the streets of Paris and then leaping from an airplane in a short, action-packed montage, unfolded like an action thriller. He was shown unveiling a rendition of the Hollywood sign with the two “oo”s before the “d” replaced by the multicolored Olympic rings.
The flag was transported via skateboard to a stage on a palm tree-lined beach, where Grammy Award winners were present to receive the flag. Red Hot Chili Peppers performed “Can’t Stop” and Billie Eilish performed “Birds of a Feather.” Eilish sported an oversized shirt resembling the red-white-and-blue Ralph Lauren polo shirts worn by the U.S. Olympians. Then , performed a snippet of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” and was then joined by Dr. Dre for his hit “The Next Episode.”
The closing ceremony concluded with a rousing performance of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” by French singer Yseult.
Those gripped by Olympic fever won’t have to wait four more years for another Olympic spectacle. The next Olympics will take place in Italy in 2026—featuring winter sports—and the Olympics will return to France in 2030, also for winter games.