Paris 2024 Olympic Games: A look back at the closing ceremony

After an unforgettable opening ceremony in the heart of Paris and two weeks filled with impressive sporting performances, it was time to close the competition which shined around the world, before the start of the Paralympic Games which will take place from August 28 to September 8 2024.

For several hours, dazzling scenes filled with emotion followed one another, with the presence and performance of several incredible women who left their mark on us.

Kick-off given by Zaho de Sagazan

From the Jardin des Tuileries, singer Zaho de Sagazan performed Edith Piaf’s iconic piece, Under the Paris skyaccompanied by a choir in front of the Olympic cauldron. At the same time, swimmer Léon Marchand – the greatest medalist of the competition with 4 gold medals and one bronze – recovered the Olympic flame in order to bring it to the Stade de France. It was there that the ceremony took place and where 80,000 people were present.

Women’s marathon podium honored

The final medal ceremony took place on stage to celebrate the end of the women’s marathon. Sifan Hassan won the gold medal, after finishing 3rd in the 10,000m and 5000m in athletics. The Ethiopian Tigist Assefa, for her part, received silver and the Kenyan Hellen Obiri, bronze. A strong emotional moment punctuated by long cheers from the crowd.

Zahia Ziouani at the head of her Divertimento orchestra

Under the baton of the Franco-Algerian musician, the Divertimento orchestra – founded by Zahia Ziouani – performed several times during the evening. A moving cover of the French anthem, The Marseillaisewas notably played, then the musicians accompanied the grandiose stage designed by Thomas Jolly with the “Golden voyageur”. The conductor is one of the rare women in this position.

The breathtaking styling of Kevin Germanier

During the futuristic show, all eyes were on the “Golden Traveler”, played by dancer Arthur Cadre. During this scene, the curious character dazzled everyone with his costume designed by Swiss fashion designer Kevin Germanier. The Valais designer designed all the outfits worn by the artists and dancers during this scene – all made from recycled materials, his trademark. He also dressed Swiss musician Alain Roche, who played the piano vertically in an equally incredible outfit made from VHS tapes. The latter was accompanied by the Franco-Swiss opera singer Benjamin Bernheim.

Sublime collaboration between Angèle, Phoenix, Kavinsky

The evening then continued with a concert by the French group Phoenix, also very popular in the United States, who set the stage on fire to the great pleasure of the spectators, but also the athletes. Other artists joined them for featurings, such as the Cambodian rapper VannDa, the French duo Air and the American singer Ezra Koenig from the group Vampire Weekend. Highlight of this impressive concert: Kavinsky, figure of the French Touch, was also present on stage accompanied by Angèle who sang on his flagship title Nightcall. Wearing a black Coperni jumpsuit, the Belgian singer mastered the sound brilliantly and instantly captivated everyone.

Olympic champion Simone Biles on stage

The closing ceremony was also an opportunity to announce the next 2028 Olympic Games which will take place in Los Angeles. For the passing of the flag from France to the United States, the mayor of the City of Angels, Karen Bass, was accompanied by the sportswoman Simone Biles, considered the greatest gymnast of all time. She leaves with three gold medals and one silver. On stage, we could see that she was wearing a walking boot as a precaution after an injury sustained during her training.

HER and Billie Eilish joined the show

Shortly before the end of this spectacular show, the event took on an American feel with the participation of several artists and icons. The American anthem was first sung by singer HER, before Tom Cruise arrived on stage. Then, direction Los Angeles where we were able to discover a live concert by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Billie Eilish also performed accompanied by her brother Finneas. She performed her hit Birds of a Feather gently, under the California sun. Then, the American parenthesis closed with the legendary duet between Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

The final bouquet of Yseult

The final bouquet highlighted the French singer Yseult, dressed by Dior for the occasion. She interpreted with emotion My Wayby Frank Sinatra. The resumption of As per usual by Claude François gave chills to the entire assembly as well as to millions of viewers. When the singer of the song Corps began the last part of this iconic piece linking France to the United States, the Stade de France was set ablaze with a magnificent fireworks display. Goodbye Paris!

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