After launching with a star-studded opening ceremony on July 26, speculation is circling around how the Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony will unfold.
The events kicked off with an epic opening ceremony along the river Seine, featuring Lady Gaga performing French cabaret song ‘Mon truc en plumes’ and Gojira performing French Revolution song ‘Ah Ça Ira!’ with opera singer Marina Viotti.
Celine Dion also performed for the first time in four years, taking on Edith Piaf’s ‘L’Hymne A L’Amour’ in her first show since she revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome (SPS).
Now, with the 2024 instalment well underway and set to come to an end this Sunday (August 11), rumours about the closing ceremony have emerged, with performances from Phoenix and Air set to be on the cards.
The reports were first shared by French news outlet Le Parisien, which reported that director Thomas Jolly – who was also behind the opening show – is preparing another amazing event to end the Olympic fortnight.
Set to be titled ‘Records’, the closing event will be shorter than that along the Seine. Spanning two hours, it will also take place in the Stade de France and depict a “futuristic world where the Games have disappeared”.
Among many surprises expected, the outlet also claims that French electronic duo Air – comprised of Nicholas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel – will perform live on the night. If it turns out to be true, the set will come as the group celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1998 debut album ‘Moon Safari’.
Versailles quartet Phoenix are also rumoured to be taking to the stage on the night, following their explosion into global popularity with their 2009, Grammy-winning fourth album ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’.
If both do perform live on Sunday, it will follow their recent teaming up to deliver a co-headline concert on the roof of Terminal 1 at Roissy Airport on July 17.
As well as the two bands, Hollywood icon Tom Cruise is also expected to make an appearance for the closing ceremony – a move that will allegedly symbolise the handover from Paris 2024, to Los Angeles 2028.
According to the outlet, the Top Gun star will take part in an eight-minute stunt sequence operated by a US team. In it will reportedly include clips of a chase that the actor filmed near the Champs Elysées in April.
Since the games kicked off, both Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have made headlines after taking part in promotional videos, showing their support for Team USA, Snoop Dogg turned heads for his dapper appearance at the dressage event – despite being scared of horses – and Flavor Flav went viral as official ‘hype man’ for the USA water polo team.
It was also reported that, despite false claims of her earning $2million (£1.5million), Celine Dion did not receive any payment for her opening ceremony performance, and Gojira saw a mammoth spike in listeners following their set.
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