Paris Olympics 2024 closing ceremony live updates (2024)

Paris waved goodbye to the Summer Olympics with a star-studded closing ceremony on Sunday, as the French capital handed over hosting duties to the next city in line: Los Angeles in 2028.

There was an orchestral opening to the ceremony as thousands of athletes were welcomed into the Stade de France, with later entertainment provided by French musical acts including Phoenix, Air and Kavinsky.

That was followed by a ceremonial handover of the Olympic flag from Anne Hidalgo to Karen Bass, the respective mayors of Paris and Los Angeles.

Hollywood star Tom Cruise then abseiled into the Stade de France before the action cut to LA, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre all performed.

Thomas Bach, the outgoing president of the International Olympic Committee, hailed a “sensational” Games and, with that, the Paris 2024 Olympics was officially closed.

For those of you wondering, the 2024 Summer Paralympics will start in Paris in 17 days’ time.

You may well have lost track of the days at this point, which is fine too. That is Wednesday, August 28 — and they will run until Sunday, September 8.

That is 12 days of incredible stories and sporting prowess and the first time Paris has hosted the Paralympics in its history, though Tignes and Albertville in south-eastern France jointly hosted the 1992 Winter Paralympics.

We have our final act of this closing ceremony now, as Yseult performs My Way — billed as the song that links France and the United States.

It’s certainly iconic, and this is quite the finish for an epic evening.

Stunning. In short, Yseult has absolutely nailed it. Bravo!

There we are. Leon Marchand and the handful of gathered Olympians on the stage next to Thomas Bach, blow out the single flame in Marchand’s small, golden lamp.

Bach declares it is time for everyone to assemble in four years’ time in Los Angeles for the 34th Olympiad.

And with that and a final French announcement over the public address, the stage switches to a stage containing some of the greats of Paralympic sport.

Because France is not done yet. There’s still another entire Games to follow after this one...

The cheers are loud and then CUT. The feed switches back to the nightime of Paris, the Stade de France scene and…

YES! Thank goodness, I was starting to worry about him.

Leon Marchand walks casually into the stadium as if to say, I’m fine; no need to worry about me.

He’s got his suit on and doesn’t look like he had to swim there, so that’s all good too.

This moment with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg is a light version of the Super Bowl halftime show from 2022, which of course happened during the Beijing Winter Olympics.

I’m pretty sure there was an ice dancing competition that started in the fourth quarter.

This feels like the time continuum has been bent because for me, Snoop Dogg was still in Paris enjoying the sights and smells of every sport going.

But here he is, dropping it like it’s hot (and like he didn’t do with the Olympic torch relay all those days ago).

There are sand statues behind him, before The Next Episode cranks up and Dr Dre joins him on stage.

Magic — if a remarkable gear change to the previous three hours of this closing ceremony. If that’s even what we’re still calling it by this point.

From the stage, we move a few metes right to a beach hut with Billie Eilish aboard the deck to continue the LA musical feast.

Gosh it looks so sunny and warm there. If you’re reading this and are down the road, go join them! It’s dark where I am.

She’s performing Birds of a Feather, for what it’s worth. Lovely tune.

And just like that, we’re taken to a stage on a beach in LA with the Chillis playing Can’t Stop live and here we go.

I can only assume we’re never returning to Paris ever again?

And what on earth happened to Leon Marchand?!

We’re now getting a full film of Tom Cruise taking the fastest route from Paris to Los Angeles. It includes numerous stunts and him pinning the Olympic rings to the iconic Hollywood sign above Beverly Hills.

Michael Johnson is soon tasked with running the Olympic flag through the city and the crowds are gathering behind him. Remarkably, they’re keeping pace too.

We have a soundtrack of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers behind all this too, which I really hope is not the end of their involvement tonight.

During the changeover ceremony, Simone Biles appears to be wearing a medical boot on her lower left leg.

That’s the leg that gave her a scare at the start of the Paris Games, when she landed awkwardly while warming up on the floor during qualifying.

Biles wore a boot when she appeared on the NBC primetime set recently as well, and said at the time that it was precautionary.

Tom Cruise, they hung a man in the air playing a piano...

I expected a little more.

Oh boy, here we go.

Tom Cruise is on the stadium roof and the guitar riff from Mission: Impossible rings out across the stadium.

He takes a rope off the roof and flies down to the floor, before shaking the hands of everyone who has competed.

Possibly everyone. Definitely a lot of people.

Tom’s looking a dazed by it all, but he stoically continues to ride it all out as he makes it to the stage.

Now then, having looked back for much of this ceremony at the closing of a wonderful Olympic Games in Paris, we’re going to start looking forward.

And that means…

Los Angeles 2028 baby.

LA mayor Karen Bass enter the arena, backed by gymnastics superstar Simone Biles — who appears to we wearing a protective boot on her left foot.

Also on the stage is the Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, as the Olympic flag is taken from one by Thomas Bach, and handed over to Bass.

She waves the flag and from here, the countdown to LA begins — starting with the U.S. anthem sung by H.E.R.

IOC president, Thomas Bach finishes:

💬 “Thank you Paris, thank you France, long live the Olympic Games and long live France.”

Huge cheers sign off those final words and with that, the Olympic Anthem chimes.

It’s a tune that should be iconic, but isn’t what I’d label as catchy or memorable so we should just let it wash over us all for now.

A younger, more urban, sustainable Games with full gender parity — those have been the reforms the IOC has wanted, and Thomas Bach sounds very happy with how Paris lived up to those new benchmarks.

Although he shows that by calling the Games “Seine-sational” and I think that pun has knocked out a few people in the crowd, judging by the groans it brings.

IOC president, Thomas Bach:

💬 “The city of light shined brighter than ever before. Your performances were amazing. Every performance sparking excitement around the world.

“You athletes…created a culture of peace. This inspired all of us. Thank you for making us dream, believe in a better world for everyone.

“We know these Games cannot create peace, but it can create a culture of peace that inspires the world.”

The organizing committee president ends by reminding the crowds to make sure they come back and fully support the Paralympics, which of course will also be held across Paris.

Next up, IOC president Thomas Bach…

President of the organizing committee, Tony Estanguet, also confirmed Paris 2024 brought the most marriage proposals during the events.

Not a record I was previously conscious, but why not. It slips in the narrative nicely.

Estanguet finishes by hailing France’s record-breaking performance at the Games, as well as it being hard to say goodbye to the love affair that the country has enjoyed these past two weeks.