Paris says goodbye to the Olympics with golden closing ceremony

The final performance was a mesmerizing display of lights and special effects, inspired by science fiction. The show concluded with Tom Cruise soaring through the air, grabbing the Olympic flag, and taking it to Los Angeles.

Paris concluded its incredibly successful Olympic Games on Sunday evening with an extravagant final ceremony. The event kicked off with a mysterious figure, dressed in gold and appearing to be from another world, roaming through a dark and desolate futuristic setting. Their mission? To revive the essence of the Olympic games.

Eerie dancers and performers, including some trained firefighters, gracefully came down from the roof of the Stade de France stadium and jumped onto massive Olympic rings. Meanwhile, Swiss musician Alain Roche wowed the crowd by playing Hymn to Apollo on a piano suspended in mid-air. French singer Yseult delivered a stunning rendition of My Way, a tribute to the French-American connection as a song originally in French but popularized in English by Frank Sinatra.

Paris bid farewell to the Olympics with a heartfelt reminder of the need to preserve the essence of the games in a world filled with division and turmoil.

The impressive fireworks display was a perfect response to the grand, colorful waterfront ceremony that went against the norm by happening along the Seine a couple of weeks before. Since then, the Paris Games have witnessed an all-time high in ticket sales and TV ratings, and there have even been an unprecedented amount of athletes getting engaged.

The director of theatre and opera, Thomas Jolly, expressed that humanity is at its best when united. He referred to his stadium show as a chance to promote "respect and tolerance" in a world that is delicate. Jolly described the Games and the closing performance as a special moment for people to come together, make amends, and heal.

The event started before evening under Paris's innovative Olympic cauldron hanging from a balloon, a striking circle of fire created by electricity and LED lights to make it look like it's on fire.

The balloon-cauldron is now the latest popular spot in the city, drawing large crowds near the Louvre to see it float into the air every evening. Some officials are debating whether it should stay in Paris permanently, becoming a new iconic landmark.

Below, the talented and acclaimed young singer Zaho de Sagazan, who has brought a new energy to French music with her voice and lyrics in recent years, performed the iconic 1950s song Sous le Ciel de Paris, famously sung by Édith Piaf. Unexpectedly, France's celebrated swimmer and gold medalist Léon Marchand, known as Le Roi Léon, arrived to extinguish the flame and close the cauldron.

In that instant, over 70,000 fans in France's largest stadium erupted in cheers as the event kicked off. The Stade de France, where just days ago thrilling athletic events took place, including Armand Duplantis breaking a world record in pole vaulting, was now a dazzling, futuristic spectacle.

Many volunteers and athletes gathered in the stadium, waving flags and coming together in a moment of unity that had not been seen before in these Games. Previously, the athletes had arrived at the opening ceremony in individual boats along the Seine.

Dancers, sports stars, helpers, and onlookers all came together for a final performance of the popular dance song Freed from Desire, which had become a beloved tune at the events, followed by the classic anthem We are the Champions.

Paris had hoped that the Olympic Games would be a huge outdoor celebration, and the athletes' last performance in the stadium, as they danced on the field, was just that.

The mysterious golden traveler who descended from the heavens was portrayed by French breakdancer Arthur Cadre. He was surrounded by a sea of dancers and acrobats, while athletes watched from the sidelines.

Surrounded by energetic athletes who quickly joined them on stage, the French electro-pop band Phoenix began their musical performance, joined by Belgian singer Angèle and Cambodian rapper VannDa.

The famous actor, Tom Cruise, rappelled in and then rode off on a motorcycle with the flag, setting an exciting Hollywood vibe for the move to Los Angeles, which will be hosting the games in 2028.

Taking the stage in Paris alongside Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass made history as the first black female mayor to accept the Olympic flag. She had previously praised Paris for their outstanding hosting of the games, but confidently stated that her city was more than capable of living up to the high standards set by the French capital.

Bass recently informed the press that although it will be tough, they are ready to face the challenge. He believes that the upcoming Games will demonstrate the varied and global nature of their city.

The Olympic events in Paris were carefully planned to be a stunning spectacle, with even the athletics track painted in a bold purple color to attract attention. Unique venues like the beach volleyball court under the Eiffel Tower and equestrian events at the Chateau of Versailles were selected for their beautiful settings. The goal was to awe spectators and television viewers with a visually striking experience throughout the more than two weeks of competition.

Paris wanted to make the Games fresh and exciting again, hoping to make the global sporting event more appealing to younger people and encourage more cities to want to host the Games. Their motto, Games Wide Open, meant bringing sports out of the stadium and into the heart of the city. Paris wanted to move on from the Tokyo Games, which had to be mostly held without fans because of the Covid pandemic.

To honor women in sports, the winners of the women's marathon received their medals at the end of the event. Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands won the gold medal, while athletes from all over the world cheered her on. It was unusual for the women's marathon, instead of the men's, to be the final event of the Olympics. The marathon route was specifically chosen to follow the path of a historic march in 1789, where women from Paris marched to Versailles to speak to the king about their concerns.

The closing ceremony at Stade de France was a remarkable display of coordination. Practice sessions were held during the early hours of the morning, from 1am to 5am, in between athletic events at the stadium.

Some members of the creative team for the ceremony, like the director Jolly, received extra security due to receiving online death threats following the opening ceremony. The spectacular opening, which included a performance by Celine Dion singing Piaf from the Eiffel Tower, was highly praised in France; a survey revealed that 86% of French citizens considered it a success.

However, some people were not happy with the LGBTQ+ pride and humor from France shown at the event. Both Donald Trump and French bishops were upset by a performance called Festivity, which included drag queens and a half-naked singer portraying Dionysus sitting in a bowl of fruit. Critics, including some Christians and conservatives, felt that this scene was mocking the Last Supper. The organizers of the event later apologized for any offense caused by certain parts of the ceremony.

During the final event, many people cheered loudly when Thomas Bach, the leader of the International Olympic Committee, talked about how sports can help bring peace during times of war.