The Paris Olympics set the bar high for itself after an opening ceremony that featured Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and a picturesque backdrop that included virtually every Parisian landmark along the Seine. But the closing ceremony – which takes place on a sweltering hot day in stark contrast to the pouring rain of kick-off – also promises to deliver a blockbuster show with a Hollywood twist.
As part of the glitzy handover to Los Angeles, which is preparing to host the 2028 Summer Games, Tom Cruise is expected to wow audiences with some epic stunts, while Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s performance and HER sings the American national anthem. . Gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead will be the flag bearers for the United States, whose team topped the Paris Olympics with a whopping 126 medals, beating China, Great Britain and France. The host country broke a 100-year record with 64 medals, including 16 gold medals. In addition to swimming champion Leon Marchand and judoka superstar Teddy Riner, the French women’s basketball team made Team France proud on the final day with a nerve-wracking match against Team USA and took home the silver medal.
The ceremony, orchestrated by Artistic Director Thomas Jolly and Executive Director Thierry Reboul, will also spotlight the French talent of respected bands Phoenix and Air and French-speaking Belgian pop star Angele.
Days after a thwarted terrorist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics is taking place under a heightened security protocol involving thousands of police forces, including nearly 2,000 officers arriving from abroad. As many as 71,538 spectators will be present, in addition to 8,200 athletes from more than 200 delegations and 270 artists. In an interview with VarietyReboul said he and the rest of the organizers spent an “incalculable” amount of time developing a comprehensive security plan with local authorities. The country has been on high alert since the start of the war in Gaza last October.
In addition to live music and stunts, the ceremony also promises some tear-jerking moments as winning athletes come together one last time. Jolly — whose opening show drew praise from many but also criticism from conservatives for a scene that seemed to mock “The Last Supper” — has created an operatic and dystopian show that highlights the origins and values of the Olympics. Like the opening ceremony that celebrated love and inclusion, the closing party will have a similar progressive message as Reboul said it will use science fiction to “raise awareness of the fact that our world is fragile and that we must preserve our values.”
A whopping 9.5 tickets were sold for the Olympics – 62% of which were bought by French people and the rest by international visitors, led by Britain, Britain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. 95% of all matches took place at iconic Paris landmarks, including beach volleyball at the Eiffel Tower, and attracted 450,000 spectators, including some well-known ones such as Nicole Kidman. The cycling races for men and women through the streets of Paris were also a highlight and attracted more than 1 million people, according to the organisers. The Stade de France was one of the few indoor venues for matches, alongside Paris’ La Defense Arena and the Bercy concert hall.
See below for the best moments from the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, updated live.
Zaho de Sagazan kicks things off from the Tuileries
In the Jardins des Tuileries, where the Olympic Cauldron – a hot air balloon illuminated by the Olympic Flame – stands, French singer-songwriter Zaho de Sagazan and the choir of the Académie Haendel-Hendrix opened the closing ceremony with a performance of Édith Piaf’s “Sous le Ciel de Paris.”
Elegantly dressed in a suit, French swimmer and Olympic breakthrough star Léon Marchand – who won four gold medals and one silver at the Games – then removed the lantern with the flame from the cauldron and began carrying it to the Stade de France.