The Paris Olympics set a high bar for itself after an opening ceremony that showcased Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and a scenic backdrop involving virtually every Parisian landmark along the Seine. But the closing ceremony — taking place on a blistering hot day in stark contrast to the pouring rain of its kickoff — also promises to deliver a blockbuster show with a Hollywood twist.
As part of the glitzy handover to Los Angeles as it prepares to host 2028’s Summer Games, Tom Cruise is expected to wow audiences with a few epic stunts while Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers perform and H.E.R. sings the U.S. 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, the U.K. and France. The host country broke a 100-year record with 64 medals, including 16 golds. Besides 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 nail-biting game against Team USA and took home the silver medal.
Orchestrated by artistic director Thomas Jolly and executive director Thierry Reboul, the ceremony will also shine a spotlight on French talent with revered bands Phoenix and Air as well as French-speaking Belgian pop star Angele.
Unfolding days after a thwarted terrorist attack that targeted a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, the Paris Olympics closing ceremony is taking place under a beefed up security protocol involving thousands of police forces, including nearly 2,000 agents coming from overseas. As many as 71, 538 spectators will attend in addition to 8,200 athletes from over 200 delegations and 270 artists. In an interview with Variety, Reboul said he and the rest of the organizers have spent an “incalculable” amount of time to prepare an airtight security plan with local authorities. The country has already been on high alert since the start of the war in Gaza last October.
Aside from live music and stunts, the ceremony also promises a few tear-jerking moments with winning athletes coming together one last time. Jolly — whose opening ceremony show triggered praises from many but also criticism from conservatives due to a scene that seemed to mock “The Last Supper” — has created an operatic and dystopian show highlighting the origins and values of the Olympics. Like the opening ceremony that celebrated love and inclusion, the closing bash will have a similarly progressive message, as Reboul said it will use science-fiction to raise “awareness about the fact that our world is fragile and we need to preserve our values.”
As many as 9.5 tickets were sold for the Olympics — 62% of which were bought French people and the remainder by international visitors, led by the U.K., the U.K., Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. 95% of all competitions took place at iconic Paris landmarks, including the beach volley by the Eiffel Tower and drew 450,000 spectators, including some famous ones such as Nicole Kidman. The men’s and women’s cycling races across the streets of Paris was also a standout, gathering over 1 million people, according to organizers. The Stade de France was one of the few indoor locations for competitions, alongside Paris La Defense Arena and Bercy concert hall.
See below for all the best moments from the Paris Olympics closing ceremony, updating live.
Zaho de Sagazan Kicks Things Off From the Tuileries Garden
French singer-songwriter Zaho de Sagazan, who sang “Modern Love” to Greta Gerwig at the Cannes Film Festival, kicked off the closing ceremony with a performance of French music legend Édith Piaf’s “Sous le Ciel de Paris” at the lush Jardins des Tuileries, where the Olympic Cauldron — an air balloon lit by the Olympic Flame — is located. She was accompanied by the choir of the Académie Haendel-Hendrix.
Leon Marchand, the French Olympics Breakout Holding the Lantern
Dressed elegantly in a suit, French swimmer and Olympic breakout star Léon Marchand — who won four gold medals and one silver at the Games — then removed the lantern containing the flame from the cauldron and began carrying it to the Stade de France. Nicknamed “the dolphin” by his French supporters, Marchand moved to Arizona three years ago to train with Bob Bowman, the coach of 23-time Olympic gold medalist American swimmer Michael Phelps.
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