The 2024 Olympic closing ceremony for the Paris Games was Sunday. Here's what to know about the event.
The 2024 Olympics took a bow on Sunday during the traditional closing ceremony in Paris.
The Olympics officially opened in Paris on Friday, July 26, though some team events started on July 24. The last day of athletic competition was Aug. 11, which was the same day as the closing ceremony. The ceremony featuring a parade of flags and athletes started at 2 p.m. ET in the Stade de France and lasted for about three hours, which is roughly how long the closing ceremony in Tokyo went on for.
What time was the 2024 Olympic closing ceremony?
The closing ceremony began at 9 p.m. CEST, or 3 p.m. ET, on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Were there any other Olympic events on Aug. 11?
Several athletic competitions were scheduled for Sunday, ahead of the closing ceremony.
- Women's marathon
- Women's basketball
- Cycling
- Men's handball
- Women's modern pentathlon
- Women's volleyball
- Men's water polo
- Women's weightlifting
- Wrestling
What happens at Olympic closing ceremonies?
There was a closing ceremony at the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Olympic Games, but it "bore only the slightest resemblance to today's ceremonies," according to the Olympics.
There are several elements considered key components of the Olympic closing ceremony. First the head of state of the host country enters along with the International Olympic Committee president. Then the national anthem of the host country is played or sung as the host nation's flag is raised.
Other traditional elements include a parade of flags, a parade of athletes and the handover of the Olympic flag to a representative of the city hosting the Olympics in four years: in this case, Los Angeles.
Some final medals are also given out during the closing ceremony. At the end, the Olympic flame is extinguished.
The 2024 Olympics closing ceremony was called "Records." Thomas Jolly, who was artistic director of the at-times controversial opening ceremony, also directed the closing ceremony.
"At the Stade de France, where the greatest stars of athletics and rugby sevens will have competed, the moment will be solemn and emotional, but it will also be a time for celebration," Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said. "Finally, the pressure will be off, and everyone will be able to take full advantage of the absolutely exceptional show that is being planned under the direction of Thomas Jolly, with the help of all the teams working across the four Paris 2024 ceremonies. Innovative, surprising and brilliant, these ceremonies already promise to be very powerful, just like "Records", which has everything it takes to make a mark on the history of Closing Ceremonies."
Who performed at the Paris closing ceremony?
The closing ceremony featured performances from Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Red Hot Chili Peppers and H.E.R.
Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance, jumping from the top of the stadium on a cable to as the "Mission Impossible" theme played. After taking the Olympic flag from Simone Biles, he drove out of the stadium on a motorcycle with the flag in tow.
The all-star lineup hit the stage as part of the handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Each of the music artists was a California native. H.E.R. sang the U.S. national anthem live from the Stade de France, while Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed in Los Angeles.
"This is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date, as the Olympic flag passes from Paris to LA," said LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman in a statement. "We are thrilled to feature the very best of LA with local artists and are grateful to Billie, H.E.R., the Chili Peppers and Snoop for their collaboration on what will be an incredible show to a global audience that will give fans a taste of what's to come in 2028."
Ahead of the ceremony, organizers had said the Stade de France would be transformed into a gigantic concert hall, featuring more than 100 performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists.
"We want to celebrate, but consciously. This moment of celebration will also be an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the Olympic Games in our society," Jolly previously said. "So I've designed a show in which the Olympic Games disappear once again, and someone comes along and founds them. It's a very visual, very choreographic, very acrobatic show with an operatic dimension to give a great visual fresco and say goodbye to athletes from all over the world."
Who were the U.S. flag bearers at the 2024 closing ceremony?
Katie Ledecky, who's won more Olympic medals than any other American woman, and gold medalist Nick Mead, a rower, led Team USA as flag bearers at the 2024 closing ceremony.
Mead will be the first rower to lead Team USA as a flag bearer at the closing ceremony. After hearing the news, Mead said he had chills and quipped that he needed to get a haircut in a video posted to social media.
Ledecky got the news from teammate Bobby Finke.
"He FaceTimed me to tell me the news, and I started crying," she said." And it's really just such an honor to represent this team with so many great performances this week from all sports."
NBA superstar LeBron James and tennis star Coco Gauff were Team USA's flag bearers during the Paris opening ceremony.
When are the Olympics happening again?
Those already eager for the next Olympics will need to wait two years, when the Winter Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, in Italy, from Feb. 6-22, 2026. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles from July 14-30, 2028.
Paralympic fans are in luck: They only need to wait until Aug. 28 for the games to kick off. The Paralympics will last from Aug. 28 through Sept. 8.