The 2024 Olympics will conclude on Sunday with an elaborate closing event at the iconic Stade de France just north of Paris.
Many are wondering what the closing ceremony may or may not include following the Olympics’ controversial opening ceremony. The City of Love received heavy criticism for its opening ceremony, which included drag pageantry in a particularly bold segment that bore a striking resemblance to Leonardo Da Vinci’s iconic painting, The Last Supper.
As mentioned in The Dallas Express, this alleged portrayal sparked an outcry from many Christians due to its controversial nature.
The event coordinators have announced that the culminating ceremony will showcase over one hundred performers, including acrobats, dancers, and circus artists, reported The Associated Press. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. CEST (2 p.m. CT) and is expected to conclude at 11:15 p.m. CEST (4:15 p.m. EDT).
Katie Ledecky, a swimmer from Team USA, and rower Nick Mead have been chosen to carry the American flags during the closing ceremony, reported Forbes.
H.E.R., who has won five Grammy awards, will perform the U.S. national anthem live at the Stade de France as part of the handover, per the AP. Additionally, a ceremony to present medals for the women’s marathon that took place earlier in the day will take place.
The closing ceremony will feature “Records,” a production put together by artistic director Thomas Jolly, in addition to customary elements such as the athletes’ procession and the passing of the Olympic flag to the hosts of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Jolly is also the artistic director who was in charge of the controversial opening ceremony.
“Finally, the pressure will be off, and everyone will be able to take full advantage of the absolutely exceptional show that is being planned under the direction of Thomas Jolly, with the help of all the teams working across the four Paris 2024 ceremonies. Innovative, surprising and brilliant, these ceremonies already promise to be very powerful, just like “Records”, which has everything it takes to make a mark on the history of Closing Ceremonies,” Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said, per CBS News.
Tom Cruise will reportedly perform an action movie-worthy stunt during the closing ceremony handover, per Forbes.
Let’s cross our fingers that this is the only stunt that occurs during the closing ceremony.