From Tom Cruise’s thrilling stunts to show-stopping music performances, here are the highlights that made the 2024 Paris Olympics’ closing ceremony a memorable one.
The 2024 Paris Olympics has come to an end after an eventful two weeks filled with many ups, downs, and viral moments that have taken the world by storm. It’s only fitting that an event of such scale ended with a bang, as its closing ceremony proved it still had a few tricks up its sleeve.
For those looking to catch up, here are some of the highlights that made this year’s Olympics closing ceremony a show-stopping experience.
READ ALSO: All The City’s A Stage: Highlights Of The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
An Epic Parade
More than 9,000 athletes joined a parade around the Stade de France, saying their goodbyes to the over 70,000 live spectators (and of course, those viewing the ceremony from their screens). There was plenty of excitement coming from Team USA, as the country is set to host the next Olympics in Los Angeles come 2028.
The closing ceremony took the title Records to mark the many amazing feats that athletes had achieved throughout the games. The Stade de France transformed into a space for a dazzling light show that charts the history and future of the Olympic games. Starting from a sci-fi premise, the show highlights a possible future where extraterrestrial life discovers vestiges of the Olympic games, long after human civilization. Then, it moves back to the games’ history in Greece and France, featuring costumed performers assembling a large-scale, suspended installation of the Olympic Rings.
Captivating Performances
The ceremony featured 270 artists and performers, including French bands Phoenix and Air, who livened up the stadium with their electric guitar riffs and vocals. Afterwards, more performances that marked the transition from Paris to Los Angeles captivated the crowd.
American Grammy award-winning artist H.E.R. performed a sparkling rendition of the American national anthem, and the mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass (alongside gymnast Simone Biles) received the Olympic flag from Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, waving it to mark the next edition of the games.
True to the spirit of Los Angeles—namely its star-studded Hollywood—actor Tom Cruise made a surprising appearance as he dropped down from the roof of Stade de France. This was followed by a thrilling stunt sequence, where Cruise hopped on a motorcycle and began riding through the streets of Paris with the flag (shown to spectators through video screens), straight out of one of his films.
Another scene plays after, depicting the actor skydiving into Hollywood as he passes the Olympic flag to the USA’s star athletes, including mountain biker Kate Courtney, four-time Olympic champion and retired sprinter Michael Johnson, and skateboarder Jagger Eaton. Viewers then found themselves transported to a beach in California, with live performances from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.
France Takes A Bow
Capping off the ceremony, French swimmer Léon Marchand (who was the most-decorated athlete at the Paris 2024 with four gold medals for France), carried the Olympic lantern after getting a flame from the games’ Cauldron. Along with six other medalists from around the world and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, Marchand blew out the lantern’s flame to truly signal the end of the games.
“Together, we have experienced games like nothing the world has ever seen before,” shares Tony Estanguet — president of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee — in his closing speech. “Tonight, I have never felt so proud to be French. Together, we have shown the world the most beautiful face of France.”
Banner and feature photos via Instagram @olympics.
