2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony: Paris Games come to spectacular close, hand off to Los Angeles - MASHAHER

Athletes make their way into Stade de France for the closing ceremony. (David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)

After 17 days, the Paris Olympics have officially come to a close.

The Olympics Closing Ceremony took place at Stade de France on Sunday, complete with an official handoff to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games. The show was spectacular, featuring the parade of nations, a glimmering “Golden Voyager” artistic segment and a dance party starring French rock band Phoenix.

From there, the scene shifted forward, with Hollywood star Tom Cruise taking the baton on the handoff to the Los Angeles Games. Cruise performed stunts at Stade de France and via a prerecorded segment that shifted the scene to L.A., where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre performed in Long Beach.

The scene then shifted back to Paris, where French singer-songwriter Yseult closed things out with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” a fitting finish to a Games presented with great pride by the host city.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER55 updates

Sun, August 11, 2024 at 6:09 PM EDT

And that’s it. The Paris Olympics have come to a close. The handoff to Los Angeles in 2028 is official and the leadup is underway. Thanks, Paris, for a spectacular 2024 Games.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 6:06 PM EDT

Paris coming strong to close with a powerful performance of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” by French singer Yseult. The performance ends with a fireworks display at Stade de France.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 6:03 PM EDT

Four-time French gold medalist swimmer Léon Marchand carried the Olympic flame on stage via a lantern, where it was extinguished alongside IOC president Thomas Bach. The Paralympics, which start on Aug. 28 in Paris, were introdud
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 6:00 PM EDT

The scene has now shifted back to Paris to extinguish the Olympic flame.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:56 PM EDT

Now Dr. Dre’s on stage. This is an L.A. party.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:54 PM EDT

Snoop Dogg has spent the last two weeks all over Paris but is back stateside. He’s performing “Drop It Like It’s Hot” in front of a couple of definitely fake “sand” statues with a stylized LA ’28 logo and a couple of giant dogs.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:53 PM EDT

Now Snoop’s up on the Long Beach stage, his Paris NBC duties officially done.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:51 PM EDT

The Olympics go Hollywood

Tom Cruise’s jump from Stade de France, then taking a motorcycle ride to a plane he skydived from eventually had a nice visual payoff. What was Cruise doing on the famous Hollywood sign? Giving it an Olympic touch.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:50 PM EDT

After a prerecorded Tom Cruise stunt montage, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are now performing in Long Beach in another prerecorded segment. We’ve taken a sharp turn from the pomp of Paris to California beach vibes. Billie Eilish is up next on a lifeguard tower.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:50 PM EDT

Cruise’s stunt lead to a pre-recorded video that takes the flag through Los Angeles, with American runner Michael Johnson and recent skateboarding silver medalist Jagger Eaton among those that help carry the flag through mountains, into the Los Angeles Coliseum and to the beach.

It leads to a live feed of the artists, who are performing live from Long Beach.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:41 PM EDT

Tom Cruise is here to helped transition the Olympics from Paris to LA 2028. He did a stunt from the top of Stade de France down to the bottom of the stadium. He’s now wading through a crowd of athletes who are thrilled to see him.

Cruise then takes the Olympic flag from Biles and puts it into the back of a motorcycle before riding off into the distance. A Hollywood ending.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:40 PM EDT

The Olympic flag is passed

As mentioned earlier, the Olympic flag passing from Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass is the first to take place between women mayors.

Both Hidalgo and Bass are the first woman mayors for their respective cities.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:37 PM EDT

With the Olympic flag having been passed from Anne Hidalgo to Karen Bass, the “Star-Spangled Banner” is now being performed by American artist H.E.R.

Bass is accompanied by Simone Biles, who is holding the flag and — notably — is wearing a boot on her left foot.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:35 PM EDT

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo are on stage for the official handoff to the 2028 Games.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:30 PM EDT

The Olympic flag is being lowered, and the Paris Games are coming ever closer to an end.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:26 PM EDT

Bach commended the Paris Games as “younger, more urban, more inclusive, more sustainable. The first-ever Olympic Games with full gender parity.”
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:23 PM EDT

Bach, by the way, recently announced that he will be leaving the position after this year, opting to not alter the current rules, which impose a 12-year term limit. Bach has been IOC president since 2013.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:22 PM EDT

IOC president Thomas Bach has the mic. We’re moving closer to the handoff from Paris to Los Angeles.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:19 PM EDT

Estanguet also thanks the volunteers and other workers who have helped these Olympics run. He finishes with a few sentences in English, praising the athletes and speaking about how thrilling these games have been.

Estanguet added a note that the 2024 Olympics have had the most proposals of any Olympic games. Several athletes have either proposed to their partners or been proposed to. It is the City of Love, after all.
Sun, August 11, 2024 at 5:18 PM EDT

Tony Estanguet tosses in a shoutout to France’s Léon Marchand, who won four swimming golds for France and earned the honor of extinguishing the torch, in his address

“We wanted to be inspired, we got Léon Marchand,” he said, earning a big cheer from the crowd. Pandering, perhaps, but effective.