Olympics Closing Ceremony will be in three parts and with ‘surprises’
Suggestions of who may appear include Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg, with the Olympics Committee head promising ‘you will not be disappointed’
The Closing Ceremony will take place at the Stade de France, in contrast to the colourful-and-controversial Opening Ceremony, which took place on the Seine River
Franck Legros/Shutterstock
US stars Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg are among the famous faces expected to be at the Olympics Closing Ceremony this weekend, with organisers promising a “very, very beautiful ceremony”.
The event is set to take place on Sunday, August 11.
“It will be a very, very beautiful ceremony,” said Tony Estanguet, head of the Olympics Organising Committee. “It will be great, you will not be disappointed.”
Read also: Paris Olympics hailed as most spectacular of all time around world
Ceremony schedule
The Closing Ceremony will take place at the Stade de France, in contrast to the colourful Opening Ceremony, which took place on the Seine River on July 26.
Ceremony director Thomas Jolly has included many of his ‘crack team’ in the event, including script writer Fanny Herrero, novelist Leïla Slimani, historian Patrick Boucheron, playwright Damien Gabriac, choreographer Maud Le Pladec, composer Victor Le Masne, and Daphné Bürki, who will be in charge of costumes.
The ceremony will include the traditional parade of flags and athletes, the presentation of the last medals (for the two marathons), the IOC President's speech, and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
It is set to be considerably shorter than the Opening Ceremony, and will last around two hours and 15 minutes, starting from 21:00. There will be three parts.
The first will include the flag parade.
The second part will be a 40-minute ‘spectacle’ without words.
The third will include a 20-minute handover of the Olympic flag from Paris to Los Angeles, the location of the 2028 Games. This last section has reportedly been coordinated in partnership with teams from LA, including Grammy Awards producer Ben Winston.
“It's going to be another world with some nice surprises once again,” said composer Mr Le Masne.
Part of the show is expected to take place “in the air”, with "giant sets, costumes and lighting effects” that will “take spectators on a journey through time, between the past and the future", states the Stade de France website.
Mr Jolly added that the show will “imagine the Olympic Games disappearing again, and someone rebuilding them in the distant future” in a bid to “make us realise how precious they are”.
Celebrity rumours
Several big names are expected to be in the crowd, and even taking part in the ceremony. Rumours - including on gossip website TMZ - have suggested that Hollywood actor Tom Cruise could be set to abseil down the façade of the Stade de France.
Other reports have said that artists including Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chili Peppers could also be taking part as they are from Los Angeles. Similarly, rapper Snoop Dogg - who has already been seen at many events in Paris - is rumoured to be a guest.
Other celebrities to have been seen in the stands at some Paris events include pop star Ariana Grande, with actress Cynthia Erivo, with whom she co-stars in the upcoming musical film Wicked.
Tom Cruise has also been seen in Paris during the Games, which has added to the fuel surrounding rumours of his possible appearance on August 11.
Among French celebrities, other expected performers include Jean-Michel Jarre, and the bands Air, and Phoenix, both of which are popular in the US.
Phoenix seemed to add to the speculation with a slightly cryptic post on their X (Twitter) page on August 5.
Read also: Tom Cruise stunt?: what to expect at Paris Olympics closing ceremony
Performances in doubt
Daft Punk, the globally-successful French electronic music duo, had been rumoured to among performers, but Mr Le Masne has this week confirmed that they are not taking part.
Similarly, actress and singer Marion Cotillard had been set to sing Frank Sinatra's My Way, but has encountered legal problems as a result of her contract with Chanel, which is a direct competitor of Olympic partner LVMH. Her appearance is now in doubt.
The Closing Ceremony will be broadcast live on France 2.
Read also: French biggest buyers of Olympic tickets, followed by UK and US
There are still some tickets left to attend in person. Reduced-view tickets were available this morning (August 9) from €250 with full-view tickets on sale at €600, €1,100, and €1,600.
