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After the unprecedented scale and characteristics of the Opening Ceremony along the Seine River, all eyes will be on French organisers to deliver an equally spectacular Closing Ceremony to mark the official conclusion of the Paris Olympics. This show will be inside a stadium – the 80,000-capacity Stade de France. Here’s what else we know about the event.
When is the Olympics Closing Ceremony?
The Olympics Closing Ceremony will be Monday morning at 4am AEST, 2am AWST and 3:30am ACST.
You’ll be able to watch it on Channel Nine or Stan Sport.
What are the traditions of the Closing Ceremony?
There are a few age-old Olympic traditions to take note of during the ceremony – the extinguishing of the Olympic flame signifies the official end of the tournament, while the singing of the Greek national anthem is a nod to the tournament’s history.
Many athletes attend the ceremony (although usually less than the Opening Ceremony), often marching through the stadium with their medals. Unlike the country-by-country roll call of the Opening Ceremony, all athletes that remain in Paris – reportedly around 300 across 29 sports – enter together for the Closing Ceremony. There will also be some athletes being presented with their medals from events that happened earlier that day.
What is the theme of the Closing Ceremony?
Every Opening and Closing Olympic Ceremony has a theme – for this one, organisers said the theme is ‘Records’, which will manifest through “a unique and exceptional show on a 2800m squared stage” with “over a hundred performers, acrobats, dancers and circus artists”.
Where is the 2028 Olympics?
A big focus of the Closing Ceremony is looking ahead to the next tournament, with the culture and creativity of the next host country weaving its way through the ceremony. The 2028 Games will be held in Los Angeles, so you can expect plenty of American fanfare and the singing of the U.S. national anthem. U.S. Late Night host Jimmy Fallon will be the MC alongside American sports broadcaster Mike Tirico.
Who is performing at the Closing Ceremony?
While the opening ceremony saw Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, and Aya Nakamura, there will be no shortage of star power in the finale. As with the opening, it’s all speculation until we see the entertainers take the stage, but the leading contenders for a spot in the program (according to entertainment outlet Variety) are Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg, who has been a regular attendee at events over the past fortnight in Paris. Whilst he won’t be singing (we think), there is also strong mail that Tom Cruise will play a role in the proceedings.
It won’t just be U.S. performers – French bands Phoenix and Air have both been confirmed as part of the program.
Will Russia and Belarus be there?
Unlike the Opening Ceremony, the IOC has given permission for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the Closing Ceremony under the ‘Individual Neutral Athletes’ team banner and without their flags or emblems. In a statement, the IOC said it made the decision because “it is not teams that enter the Closing Ceremony, but all athletes together.” Only 32 athletes from the two countries competed in Paris, with only a handful still in the city.
Who are the Australian flag-bearers?
Whilst all countries enter at the same time, there are still flag-bearers picked by national Olympic Committees in recognition of outstanding performances during the Games. The AOC picked swimmer Kaylee McKeown, who won five medals in Paris (two individual gold medals, one relay gold medal, one relay silver medal, one individual bronze medal and one relay bronze medal) and sailor Matt Wearn, who followed up his gold in Tokyo with another gold in Paris.
Chef de Mission Anna Meares (the leader of the Australian contingent in Paris) highlighted the character of both athletes as a key reason for their selection, saying McKeown’s “character, personality and charm really resonate with what makes this Australian team so special”, and Wearn as a “humble” record-setter.
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