Olympics 2024 Closing Ceremony Highlights | Flame goes out in Paris officially ending the Games as LA takes over for 2028

What to expect for the Olympics Closing ceremony?

The closing ceremony on August 11 at 12:30 AM (Aug 12) will be held at Stade de France, which hosted most of the athletic events over the last two weeks.

Rumours suggest star Tom Cruise will be part of the event, while Snoop Dogg, who also featured in the opening ceremony with the Olympic torch, is slated to return for the closing ceremony.

In a tweet about the closing ceremony, the Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass had this to say about the ceremonial handing over the Olympic torch: "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."

Shooter Manu Bhaker and star hockey goalkeeper P R Sreejesh will lead Indian contingent at closing ceremony

Manu Bhaker and P R Sreejesh ahead of the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024.

Rumoured Tom Cruise stunt will showcase ceremonial transition from the Paris Games to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

As per media reports, Cruise or a lookalike stunt double will reportedly rappel down from the top of Stade de France and land at the venue while carrying the Olympic flag. NBC’s broadcast of the closing ceremony will apparently then transition to a previously recorded video of the actor flying from Paris to Los Angeles, ending with the actor skydiving from a plane down to the Hollywood sign.

The skydiving video was reportedly filmed in March, according to TMZ, which released photos of Cruise climbing the Hollywood sign. TMZ’s report also said that Cruise had himself approached the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and proposed doing the stunts during the closing ceremony. The closing act by Cruise, if it materialises, would be strongly reminiscent of the James Bond and The Queen London 2012 performance.

Man held for climbing Eiffel Tower on final Olympics day

A man climbs Eiffel Tower on Olympics' last day, August 11, 2024, in this screen grab taken from a video.

A climber scaled the north face of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Sunday, the last day of the Olympics, before he was intercepted by police mid-way up, police said.

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Paris prepares to hand over baton to Los Angeles

Paris will bring down the curtain on a Summer Games that brought dazzling sport to the heart of the French capital and restored the Olympics' mojo, handing over the baton to Los Angeles at the Stade de France national stadium.

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Athletes, spectators and security gear up for closing ceremony

WATCH: Manu Bhaker and P R Sreejesh just before closing ceremony event

Winners of the women's marathon will receive their medals during the ceremony.

The modern Olympics have traditionally presented the winners of the men's marathon with their medals at the Closing Ceremony. However, in Paris 2024, the men's and women's marathons have swapped places, giving women the honor of being the athletes highlighted at the Closing Ceremony for the first time.

Closing ceremony kicks off with French song 'Sous le ciel do Paris'

The closing ceremony kicks off with a choir performing "Sous le ciel do Paris" in the Jardin des Tuileries as French swimmer and four-time gold medalist in the Olympics 2024, Leon Marchand, makes his entry, takes the flame in a lantern to begin its journey back to Stade de France, where the heart of the Ceremony takes place.

Parade of Athletes begins at the Stade de France

The Parade of Athletes, with representatives of each of the 205 delegations, has started. Athletes from Canada, Great Britain, Ivory Coast, Ireland, Egypt, Australia, Zimbabwe, among other nations, enter the Stade de France.

The athletes are entering the stadium en masse to take part in the parade.

It was at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games that, for the first time at the Closing Ceremony, the athletes no longer followed their delegation's flag-bearer according to the protocol order, but mingled together.

PM Modi hails efforts of Indian contingent

With the Paris Olympics coming to an end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the efforts of the Indian contingent and wished the sporting heroes the best for their upcoming endeavours.

Every Indian is proud of the athletes who did their best, he said.

"As the Paris Olympics conclude, I appreciate the efforts of the entire Indian contingent through the games," Modi said in a post on X.

"All the athletes have given their best and every Indian is proud of them. Wishing our sporting heroes the best for their upcoming endeavours," the prime minister said.

Controversial boxer Imane Khelif, who won gold, is here with Algeria’s delegation, though she’s not holding the flag

All athletes have entered the Stade de France, including Indian contingent

Athletes let their hair down, dancing, smiling, waving and even body surfing. “Ladies and gentlemen, the athletes!” drew a big cheer from the more than 70,000 fans who have packed the stands before the karaoke kicked in.

Queen's evergreen 'We Are the Champions' plays at Stade de France

Winners of the women's marathon receive their medals during the closing ceremony

National anthem of Netherlands plays as Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands receives her gold medal. Tigst Assefa of Ethiopa (silver) and Hellen Obiri of Kenya (bronze) are getting their medals on the podium too in a historic moment.

Paris Olympics 2024 volunteers take centre-stage

Screengrab/JioCinema

Four new members inducted into the IOC athletes commission also shared the spotlight with the volunteers. They are:

Alysson Felix - Athletics (USA)

Kim Bui - Gymanstics (Germany)

Jessica Fox - Canoue (Australia)

Marcus Daniell - Tennis (New Zealand)

Artistic performance kicks off as Stade de France turns into spooky theatrical space with orchestra playing

Screengrab/JioCinema

An 'otherworldly' visitor observes as the origins of the Olympics and its rebirth in the modern era play out. The “Golden Voyager” — an extraterrestrial character — has descended into the stadium — in a nod to the Voyager Golden Record, which “contained an identity card of humanity. Images, sounds, measurements, a complete human instruction manual for an extraterrestrial civilization.”

The record was made in France and sent into space in 1977 with the Voyager spacecraft.

The ceremony, directed by Thomas Jolly, was a celebration of the Olympic spirit, diversity, and solidarity.

Hymne to Apollo - one of the last surviving pieces of music from ancient Greece - plays

Athletes are rushing toward the stage. Some are climbing up onto the platform.

As the band Phoenix performs, a throng of Olympians have gone rogue and are enjoying the music up close on the stage as security tries to reason with them.

Manu Bhaker, P R Sreejesh and Indian contingent at the Olympics closing ceremony

Most of the athletes have cleared the stage as the stadium has been transformed into a giant concert, with fog machines and laser beams.

Next up, handover to Los Angeles hosting 2028 Games after speeches

Paris Olympics organizing committee President Tony Estanguet and IOC President Thomas Bach are set to speak after which we will witness the Olympic flag handover ceremony.

Big cheers rose in the stadium when Paris Olympics organizing chief Tony Estanguet hailed multi-medal-winning swimmer Léon Marchand

Estanguet says Olympic Games saw 'the most marriage proposals ever'

Several athletes offered up or received and accepted marriage proposals during the Olympic Games.

French runner Alice Finot proposed to her boyfriend with an Olympic pin after her steeplechase race.

China badminton player Huang Ya Qiong celebrated with gold and diamonds after her boyfriend proposed to her following her win.

President Tony Estanguet and President of International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach at the closing ceremony

Reuters

Olympic anthem plays

Olympic flag lowered signalling end of 33rd edition of the Summer Games

Olympic flag handover ceremony begins

The first female mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, passes on the Olympic flag to the first female mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass.

Lending a more American flavor to the proceedings, R&B singer H.E.R. takes the stage

Tom Cruise arrives at Stade de France, rides out on bike with Olympic flag

Reuters

Hollywood's top gun Tom Cruise rappelled from the roof of the Stade de France into the Paris Games closing ceremony on Sunday before speeding off with the Olympic flag in a dramatic handover that began the countdown to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

A beaming Cruise high-fived athletes after making the roughly 160-foot descent and took the flag from LA Mayor Karen Bass, who was accompanied by US gymnast Simone Biles.

Cruise then disappeared beneath the stage before reemerging on a motorcycle with the flag affixed to the back and exited as the crowd at the 80,000-seat stadium roared.

The closing ceremony then transitioned to a prerecorded video showing Tom Cruise riding the bike through the streets of Paris into a waiting jet before skydiving to land in front of the iconic Hollywood sign. A few additional rings, some coloured cloths and a nail gun help Cruise turn the OOs in the 'Hollywood' logo into the Olympic Rings instead.

A wide shot showed the Olympic rings incorporated into the famous LA landmark.

The flag was then passed from US Olympians past and present as it traversed the city before reaching a beach party in California.

Scene shifts to Red Hot Chilli Peppers performing on the beach with LA '28 sign in the back

Billie Eilish takes the stage next. The 22-year-old singer is sporting her signature baggy tee and shorts combo as she wows the crowd

Snoop Dogg is next performing his iconic 'Drop it Like It’s Hot' from Long Beach, California. Dr Dre joined him on stage

Back in Stade de France, the Olympic torch was carefully brought on stage by Léon Merchand

Flame goes out in Paris officially ending the Games as LA takes over for 2028

The Olympic flame is extinguished by Thomas Bach, Leon Marchand and the representatives of the continents. Paris Games 2024 has officially ended.

Leon Marchand of France holds the Olympic flame during the closing ceremony.

Dupont hands over French flag to Paralympian

Antoine Dupont, the French rugby star, passed the French flag to Nantenin Keita, a Paralympic track and field runner. The handover symbolised the transition from the Olympics to the Paralympics.

Yseult serenades the stadium singing Frank Sinatra’s 'My Way' in final moments of closing ceremony

Closing ceremony finishes with grand show of fireworks as fans and athletes stream out of the stadium