The curtain fell on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games today, wrapping up an XXXIII Olympiad marked by both triumph and controversy. After a contentious opening ceremony along the River Seine, the 2024 Games witnessed two weeks of intense competition. The closing ceremony, a fitting finale, unfolded at the Stade de France in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis.

At 9 p.m. (Paris time), French President Emmanuel Macron made his entrance, followed by a breathtaking rendition of the French national anthem by a symphony orchestra.

Greece was led by bronze pole vault medalist Emmanouil Karalis and artistic swimmer Evangelia Platanioti, who were the first to enter the stadium, followed by athletes from 205 countries and the refugee team.

As in the opening ceremony, the audience actively participated, singing along as the athletes danced to popular songs, including Queen’s “We Are the Champions.”

Amid the grandeur, the women’s marathon medals were awarded, setting the stage for the evening’s spectacle.

As the stadium plunged into darkness, flickering lights revealed a colossal spaceship-like structure. Suddenly, a mysterious golden explorer descended, embarking on a journey to uncover the history of the Olympic Games.

A silver figure appeared carrying the Greek flag. As he gave the explorer the flag, the Greek national anthem echoed through the stadium, symbolizing the ancient origins of the Games.

The journey continued with a tribute to the Victory of Samothrace and the enduring spirit of ancient Greece.

The revival of the Olympics was depicted through a mesmerizing performance, with dancers descending from the stadium’s heights as a floating piano played a hymn to the mythical Olympian god Apollo.


The spectacle continued with the rediscovery of the iconic Olympic rings, as massive golden circles emerged in a dazzling display.

These five rings ascended, symbolizing peace and truce—a vision first conceived by Pierre de Coubertin in the late 19th century and unveiled at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.

The celebration carried on as the spaceship transformed into a stage, with the band Phoenix providing the soundtrack as athletes and spectators reveled in the music.

Toward the end, six athletes—one representing each continent along with a representative of the refugee team—took the stage.

The president of the Olympic Games praised them for inspiring a culture of peace worldwide. The Olympic Hymn, with lyrics by Greek poet Kostis Palamas, then resonated throughout the stadium.

Greece’s flag-bearers at the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Bronze medalist pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis and artistic swimmer Evangelia Platanioti.

The closing ceremony concluded with the symbolic handover of the Olympic flag from the mayor of Paris to the mayor of Los Angeles, accompanied by the U.S. national anthem, signaling the transition to the 2028 host city.

Grammy-winning artist Gabriella Wilson, known as H.E.R., delivered a live performance of the anthem during the flag handover.

To the crowd’s delight, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise descended from the stadium’s roof, retrieved the Olympic flag, mounted a motorcycle and was then filmed boarding a plane with the flag back to his home base of Los Angeles, the next host city for the Olympics in 2028.

The evening’s finale was marked by the entrance of four-time French swimming gold medalist Léon Marchand, who carried a small lantern with the Olympic flame from the Ceramic Palace garden to the Stade de France.

In an emotional moment, the flame was extinguished, officially bringing the 2024 Olympic Games to a close.