Cover The Paris Olympics closing ceremony promises to be an affair to remember (Photo: Getty Images)
The Paris Olympics closing ceremony promises to be an affair to remember (Photo: Getty Images)
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A spectacular show deserves a spectacular ending, and the Paris Olympics closing ceremony promises just that—think stunts by Tom Cruise, the first Black woman receiving an Olympic flag and more
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games has proved time and time again to be a grand sight to behold, with athletes from all over the world wowing audiences and embodying the spirit of sportsmanship for a fortnight. In that same spirit, Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024, promised to deliver a powerful closing ceremony that is nothing short of “innovative, surprising and brilliant”, according to the official press release.
The Paris Olympics closing ceremony is scheduled on Sunday, 11 August (CEST) and will be held at the Stade de France, the country’s national stadium, which will be transformed into a concert hall for the occasion.
Thierry Reboul, executive director of the ceremonies, has kept the details of the closing ceremony under wraps but has promised a spectacle that will not disappoint. Though the Paris 2024 Organising Committee has been tight-lipped about what it has planned for the final show, one thing is certain—it will be nothing short of a grand affair. Here’s what to expect from the Paris Olympics closing ceremony.
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Charting the history of the Olympics
Above A view of the Olympic flag during the women’s pool B match between United States and Great Britain at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
A view of the Olympic flag during the women’s pool B match between United States and Great Britain at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
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The 2024 Olympic Games will come to a close on 11 August, marking the end of intense rivalry and all the blood, sweat and tears that went into putting on a spectacle for audiences around the world. Thomas Jolly, artistic director of Paris 2024 and the mastermind behind the audacious opening ceremony, hopes to remind people of how unique of the shared experience of watching the Olympics can be.
The Olympic Games, having disappeared after antiquity and been re-founded in France by Pierre De Coubertin, the former president of the International Olympic Committee, are unequalled in their scope and significance. Working on the premise of a dystopian future where the Olympic Games disappear once again, Jolly implores the audiences to reflect on the importance of the Games in its absence and hence to celebrate its presence consciously and joyfully. Described as “very visual, very choreographic and very acrobatic” on the Paris 2024 website, the Paris Olympics closing ceremony will also have an operatic dimension that will keep audiences satiated.
Tom Cruise to perform a major stunt
Above Tom Cruise is said to perform a stunt at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony (Photo: Getty Images)
Tom Cruise is said to perform a stunt at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony (Photo: Getty Images)
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One of the highlights of the Paris Olympics closing ceremony is Tom Cruise, who is said to perform a stunt at Stade de France. The performance by the Hollywood icon will be an emblem of the transfer of the Olympic flag from Paris to Los Angeles, which is the host city for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.
The closing ceremony is slated to also include footage of the actor filmed in April near the Champs-Elysees and the Bir-Hakeim bridge which showed him speeding on a motorbike with a large Olympic flag. Audiences can expect to see the A-lister rappelling down from the top of the Stade de France and landing on the stadium field.
An ensemble performance
Above The Olympic flag is raised at the Place du Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024; the Paris Olympics closing ceremony promises to be equally spectacular (Photo: Getty Images)
The Olympic flag is raised at the Place du Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024; the Paris Olympics closing ceremony promises to be equally spectacular (Photo: Getty Images)
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Organisers said in a statement released on 5 July that the Paris Olympics closing ceremony will include “[more than] a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists”. Think musical performances by world-renowned singers, and breathtaking visual spectacles.
Part of the show will take place in the air, while the giant sets, costumes and dazzling lighting effects will take audiences on a journey through time, honouring the past and envisioning the future.
LA mayor Karen Bass will be the first Black woman to receive the Olympic flag
Above PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 25: Karen Bass attends 'Prelude to the Olympics' at Fondation Louis Vuitton on July 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for LVMH x Vogue x NBC)
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 25: Karen Bass attends 'Prelude to the Olympics' at Fondation Louis Vuitton on July 25, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julien M. Hekimian/Getty Images for LVMH x Vogue x NBC)
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Traditional moments of the Olympic closing ceremony, including the flag parade of the nations, the athletes’ parade, and the handover of the Olympic flag to the next city hosting the Summer Games will be all part of the show.
But what will go down in history is that Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, will become the first Black woman to receive an Olympic flag on August 11, from Anne Hidalgo, the first woman mayor of Paris.
