Welcome to the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony!
After a first-of-its-kind Opening Ceremony, Paris will close the Olympics in a more traditional setting for the Closing Ceremony.
PARIS, France — After two weeks of stellar competition, the Paris Olympics will come to a close on Sunday in a ceremony at France’s national stadium.
Thomas Jolly, who directed the unprecedented open-air Opening Ceremony, is in charge of the Closing Ceremony as well. While specifics have remained under wraps, the festivities will feature the athletes’ parade and the handover of the Olympic flag to the organizers of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Organizers have said the ceremony will include more than 100 performers, acrobats, dancers, and circus artists on a huge stage.
What time does the Closing Ceremony actually start?
The Closing Ceremony starts at 9 p.m. local time in Paris. That means it’s happening at 3 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain, and Noon Pacific time.
How long is the Closing Ceremony?
The ceremony is expected to last a little over two hours.
How to watch the Closing Ceremony
The Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony will be shown live on NBC and streaming on Peacock starting at 3 p.m. Eastern. An enhanced version will air in primetime at 7 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. After the ceremony in primetime, NBC will air a “Countdown to LA28” special at 10 p.m.
Who is performing at the Closing Ceremony?
The closing ceremony for the Paris Olympics will bring out several stars: Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Red Hot Chili Peppers are scheduled to perform Sunday.
The all-star lineup will hit the stage as part of the handover to the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Each of the music artists is a California native, including H.E.R., who is expected to sing the U.S. national anthem live at the Stade de France.
“This is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date, as the Olympic flag passes from Paris to LA,” said LA28 chairperson Casey Wasserman in a statement.
Who is hosting the Closing Ceremony?
NBC’s Mike Tirico will be back as a host alongside “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon. They’ll be joined by Terry Gannon and former Olympic figure skaters Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir. The trio previously served as Closing Ceremony hosts for the last three Olympics.
Who is Tara Lipinski?
Tara Lipinski won the women’s figure skating gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano Japan.
Who is Johnny Weir?
Johnny Weir is a two-time Olympian, three-time U.S. men’s figure skating champion, and the 2008 world bronze medalist.
How old was Tara Lipinski when she won the gold medal?
15 years, 255 days. At the time, Lipinski was the youngest individual event winner in Winter Olympics history.
She’s not, however, the youngest gold medalist. That belongs to Kim Yun-Mi of South Korea, who won the gold in 1994 in the women’s short track 3,000-meter relay at the age of 13 years, 86 days.
Who is Tara Lipinski married to?
She’s married to sports producer Todd Kapostasy. The couple tied the knot in 2017.
Lipinski and Kapostasy are co-executive producers for the documentary “Meddling,” looking at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics pairs figure skating scandal.
In Oct. 2023, the couple announced they had welcomed a daughter through a surrogate after several years of infertility.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
