2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony: Live updates as performers hand off to Los Angeles for 2028 Games

Live24 updates

• Sun, August 11, 2024 at 6:06 PM EDT

  The Paris Olympics are officially over

  The Olympic flame has officially been extinguished, at least until the next games.

  The torch was brought onstage by Léon Marchand as Olympians rushed back toward the center of the stadium.

  “I now declare the Paris Olympic Games closed,” Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, said.

  French singer Yseult then gave the final performance, singing “My Way.” Immortalized by American singer Frank Sinatra, it was originally a French song titled “Comme d’habitude,” cowritten and performed by the pop star Claude François in 1967, according to the New York Times.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:57 PM EDT

  Snoop Dogg hits the stage in LA with Dr. Dre

  Snoop Dogg appeared onstage in Los Angeles with his hit 2004 song, “Drop It Like It’s Hot.”

  The L.A.-based rapper has been acting as a correspondent for NBCUniversal throughout the games. He was later joined onstage by fellow California native Dr. Dre.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:55 PM EDT

  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish perform on Los Angeles beach during Olympic flag pass

  The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Billie Eilish took the stage on a Los Angeles beach after retrieving the Olympic flag from Tom Cruise, who “carried” it all the way from Paris, officially handing the Games over to LA.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:51 PM EDT

  Tom Cruise skydives and carries the Olympic flag to L.A. on a motorcycle

  We see you, Tom Cruise!

  Following H.E.R.’s performance of the national anthem, the superstar jumped from the roof of the stadium in Paris to the center of the floor where he walked toward the stage to collect the Olympic flag from Mayor Karen Bass and gymnast Simone Biles.

  He then placed the flag on a motorcycle and biked out of the stadium and onto a jet; then, in a pretaped segment, he was seen sky jumping to the ground in Los Angeles. The star ended at the Hollywood sign, where the four Olympic rings are now displayed.

  Cruise then handed off the flag to the various athletes before retrieving it and handing it to Red Hot Chili Peppers, who began a performance on a sunny Los Angeles beach.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:41 PM EDT

  H.E.R. performs the national anthem

  The five-time Grammy winner hit the stage with her electric guitar to sing the U.S. national anthem as part of the handover for the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:40 PM EDT

  First woman mayor of Paris passes Olympic flag to first woman mayor of Los Angeles

  During the closing ceremony, the first woman mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, passed the Olympic flag to the first woman mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, who was accompanied by American Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

  According to ABC7 Los Angeles, Bass will return to Los Angeles on Monday with the flag — marking the first time it has been in the city in 40 years. And she isn’t taking the moment lightly.

  “I hope that it sends a message to girls, girls around the world, that you can do anything,” Bass told CNN. “You can run, you can participate in the Olympics and you can run for office.”

  During the Closing Ceremony, the first woman Mayor of Paris will pass the Olympic flag to the first woman Mayor of Los Angeles.

  In that moment, I hope we’ll be showing girls across the world that they can run for gold, and they can also run for office.

  Tonight, we make history. pic.twitter.com/Vpinjf7UL5

  — Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) August 11, 2024

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:33 PM EDT

  French President Emmanuel Macron takes the stage alongside Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024 committee

  French President Emmanuel Macron took the stage with Tony Estanguet, president of the Paris 2024 committee, and Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee.

  After Macron took time to congratulate the athletes, Estanguet took the microphone to say that this year’s games were like “nothing the world has seen before,” noting that, among other things, the Paris Olympics set a record for the most marriage proposals, according to the New York Times.

  “We wanted excitement, we got passion. We wanted to be inspired, we got Léon Marchand,” he said of the French swimmer, who also carried the Olympic torch at the beginning of the ceremony.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:18 PM EDT

  Phoenix frontman ends set by crowd-surfing on a mosh pit filled with athletes

  Thomas Mars, lead singer of Phoenix, ended the band’s set by jumping into the crowd of athletes and being hoisted up by Team USA. He was later joined by Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:00 PM EDT

  Olympians rock out as Phoenix stakes the stage

  French indie band Phoenix performed their 2009 song “Lisztomania” as hundreds of Olympians swarmed the stage, despite security attempting to corral the athletes offstage, according to the Associated Press.

  The athletes, some of whom have been seen climbing on the platform, were reportedly warned by the announcer to get off the stage — but that hasn’t stopped them from taking selfies and attempting to get as close to the band as possible, according to the AP.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 4:54 PM EDT

  The ceremony performance depicted a dystopian future without the Olympics

  The performance featuring the Golden Voyager was reportedly set in a dystopian future without the Olympics, according to NBC News. During the number, dancers descended onto the stage, shaped like the five continents, to reclaim the Olympic rings.

  As the rings eventually rose to the sky, once again, director Thomas Jolly said it was meant to represent “diversity and solidarity” and the capacity of human potential, according to the New York Times.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 4:41 PM EDT

  Who is the Golden Voyager, the character at the center of the closing ceremony performance?

  During the closing ceremony performance, the Stade de France was turned dark as a performer dressed in an elaborate bejeweled and feathered shiny golden costume was lowered from the ceiling.

  According to the Olympics website, the Golden Voyager character is inspired by “references from French history, including the Spirit of the Bastille” and is meant to display the history of the games.

  In a highly choreographed ballet with multiple dancers on stage, the Golden Voyager was seen discovering the Olympic rings, and was hoisted into the air while French pianist and opera singer Benjamin Bernheim sang the “Hymn to Apollo,” accompanied by Alain Roche on the piano.

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  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 4:28 PM EDT

  Fans celebrate Sifan Hassan accepting her gold medal in a hijab

  Ethiopian-born distance runner Sifan Hassan, who competed for the Netherlands at the Paris Olympics, won gold medal in the women’s Olympic marathon Sunday morning.

  Hassan received her gold medal at the closing ceremony while wearing her hijab, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, which has been banned by individual sports federations in France at various levels, according to the ABC News — though there isn’t a law or policy banning hijabs in sports on a national level.

  Multiple posts on X have celebrated Hassan, calling her “powerful” and inspiring.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 4:02 PM EDT

  How did Team USA do compared to other countries at the Paris Olympics?

  Team USA tied with China for gold medals (40), though the U.S. had the most medals overall at 126, compared to China’s 91, Britain’s 65 and France’s 64, according to NBC News.

  CBS News also reports that Team USA’s medals were won by 257 athletes.

  In total, according to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, around 10,500 U.S. athletes competed in 48 sports at the Paris Games. The U.S. competed in all except one discipline, handball, which is more than any other nation except for France.

  Furthermore, CBS News reports Team USA medaled in 34 of the sports disciplines in which it competed.

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:56 PM EDT

  Team USA arrives wearing Ralph Lauren

  The U.S. Olympic Team entered the stadium in Ralph Lauren jackets with the American flag displayed on the back.

  Read more: These Olympic uniforms stand out from the pack: See some of the most fashion-forward looks

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:49 PM EDT

  More than 71,000 spectators fill the Paris stadium

  With roughly 9,000 athletes and staff attending the closing ceremony, People reported that over 71,000 spectators filled the Stade de France today, as well as nearly 270 artists who are set to perform.

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  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:45 PM EDT

  Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was supposed to carry Algeria’s flag

  

  Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, the 25-year-old gold medalist who stirred up a gender controversy at the Paris Olympics, was expected to carry Algeria’s flag at the closing ceremony, according to the Associated Press. Instead, Algerian gymnast Kaylia Nemour and track star Djamel Sedjati are holding it.

  Although it’s unclear why the change was made, the AP reports that Khelif has filed a legal complaint for online harassment against her due to an onslaught of criticism and false claims that have emerged about her gender during the competition.

  Read more: Imane Khelif wins gold medal in boxing. How the Algerian became the target of controversy.

  Read more: Olympic boxer Imane Khelif ‘gender controversy’ explained by health experts

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:31 PM EDT

  Team USA flag bearer Nick Mead had to get a haircut before the ceremony

  Gold medal-winning American rower Nick Mead told commentator Jimmy Fallon he had to get a trim before the closing ceremony.

  “I had to get a haircut,” he said. “I went to the barber in the Olympic Village and they were very, very good to me.”

  Mead spoke to Fallon as he carried the U.S. flag at the Jardin des Tuileries alongside fellow flag bearer, swimmer Katie Ledecky, who in Paris became the most decorated U.S. woman in Olympic history with 14 medals.

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  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:25 PM EDT

  William and Kate congratulate Team Great Britain

  Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales, sent a congratulatory message to Team Great Britain in a video montage shared on their account.

  “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” Kate said, with William adding, “Well done on all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”

• 

  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:24 PM EDT

  French national anthem plays before athletes take the stage

  The French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” was played by an orchestra before the athletes made their way to the center of the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.

  Just before the orchestra played, French President Emmanuel Macron and the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach shook hands and embraced before waving to the crowd.

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  Sun, August 11, 2024 at 3:15 PM EDT

  French swimmer Léon Marchand carries the Olympic torch

  French swimmer Léon Marchand, who took home four gold medals and one bronze model at this year’s Games in Paris, carried the Olympic torch while wearing a black suit and tie.