After weeks of thrilling competition, athletes from around the world are preparing to bid farewell to the 2024 Paris Games. In contrast to the grandiose opening ceremony, the closing ceremony will take a more traditional approach. Instead of the open-air setting along the Seine River, it will be held at the Stade de France, which has a seating capacity of 80,000.
Throughout the Games, the stadium has hosted various notable events, including record-breaking track races and a historic first for the American women’s rugby team. Now, it will host a vibrant array of artists, dancers, acrobats, and surprise performers to mark the conclusion of this year’s Olympics and look forward to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Here’s everything you need to know about the ceremony.
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Starting time of the Ceremony
The closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday. NBC will broadcast a live preshow at 2 p.m. ET, featuring a recap of some of the most memorable moments from the Olympics.
The main ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. ET, with a prime-time encore broadcast available for U.S. viewers. The event is anticipated to last just over two hours.
A special segment about the 2028 Games will air at 10 p.m. ET.
How can you watch
The ceremony will be available for streaming on NBC, Peacock, and NBC Olympics (all part of NBCUniversal, which is also the parent company of NBC News).
Viewers can also tune in via their local NBC channel. For complete TV listings, check the NBC Olympics schedule page.
Closing ceremony
Much like the opening ceremony, details about the closing ceremony have been kept largely secret.
The Paris 2024 Olympic committee has revealed that the event will showcase “over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists.” Artistic director Thomas Jolly, who also curated the opening ceremony, has announced that the theme for the closing ceremony is “Records.”
Viewers can anticipate the traditional elements of the closing ceremony, including the parade of athletes, the presentation of the participating nations’ flags, and the lowering of the Olympic flag. A segment of the ceremony will focus on the handover of the host city from Paris to Los Angeles, with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo passing the Olympic flag to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
It’s OUR time🔥
Tune in to the @Paris2024 Closing Ceremony featuring the #LA28 Handover Celebration with @TeamUSA Olympians @MJGold, @jaggereaton, and Kate Courtney on August 11th on @NBCOlympics and @peacock. #NextUpLA28 | @Olympics pic.twitter.com/OEYabEe3o8
— LA28 (@LA28) August 9, 2024
The closing ceremony often includes the presentation of some final medals, and the Olympic flame will be extinguished. The Paralympic flame, which will kick off the Games from August 28 to September 8, “will be lit shortly after the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Stoke Mandeville, the historic birthplace of Paralympic sport,” according to the Olympics website.
Between August 25 and August 28, around 1,000 torchbearers will transport the Paralympic flame to 50 cities across France as part of the Paris 2024 Paralympic torch relay, according to the website.
Ceremony hosts and performers
NBC’s Mike Tirico will return as a host for the closing ceremony, joined by late-night host Jimmy Fallon. They will be accompanied by sports commentator Terry Gannon and former Olympic figure skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir, all of whom have previously hosted during the PyeongChang, Tokyo, and Beijing Games.
The ceremony will feature notable performers from California, highlighting the next host city. Rapper Snoop Dogg, a prominent figure at this year’s Games, will participate in the handover segment. R&B artist H.E.R. is set to perform the U.S. national anthem during the ceremony.
I am on my way to Paris!! See you soon @miketirico for CLOSING CEREMONIES!!!!?!?! 🏅🏅🏅@nbcolympics #ParisOlympics #JimmyInParis pic.twitter.com/NqFak7L0O6
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) August 7, 2024
The complete lineup of performers has yet to be confirmed.
There is speculation that Los Angeles natives Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers might be involved in the event. Additionally, French bands Phoenix and Air are anticipated to perform, according to a Variety interview with ceremonies director Thierry Reboul.
Actor Tom Cruise, who attended several events at the Games and is currently shooting “Mission: Impossible 8” in Europe, is also rumored to be part of the closing celebration.
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