Paris has bid adieu to two and a half weeks of extraordinary Olympic sports and emotion with a star-studded show held at France’s national stadium and Long Beach, California. The French capital has passed the torch to Los Angeles, the next city in line to host the Summer Games in 2028.
One of the highlight performances came from Snoop Dogg, who has been a consistent presence at the Paris Olympics with several appearances on NBC. He kept the momentum going with a pre-taped show from his native California, performing “Drop It Like It’s Hot” before being joined by Dr. Dre for a performance of their classic hit, “The Next Episode,” in Long Beach.
Billie Eilish added to the musical extravaganza with her performance of “Birds of a Feather” from her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft.” Not to be outdone, the Red Hot Chili Peppers brought the house down with their 2003 jam “Can’t Stop.”
Tom Cruise made a grand entrance reminiscent of his daring “Mission: Impossible” stunts. He descended from the top of Stade de France while H.E.R. played her guitar, then rode a motorcycle through the audience. In a prerecorded sequence, Cruise navigated through Paris before boarding a plane and parachuting into farmland.
Adding to the musical fervor, H.E.R. performed the U.S. national anthem with a guitar in hand, while Simone Biles and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood supportively behind her. She played on her custom-built Stratocaster during the ceremonial handover from Paris to Los Angeles.
Other musical acts punctuated the evening. Parisian singer-model Yseult rounded out the show with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s classic “My Way,” originally a French song composed by Jacques Revaux and Claude François. French band Phoenix gave an electrifying performance that even saw some athletes struggling to stay off the stage, prompting security to step in. The Grammy-winning band performed hits like “Lisztomania” and “If I Ever Feel Better,” with Ezra Koenig wrapping up the session with “Tonight.”
The evening was a fitting close to an unforgettable Olympic experience, setting the stage for what promises to be another spectacular event in Los Angeles in 2028.
