2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony: Summer Games come to a close following Team GB claiming 14 gold medals, 65 in total with Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers set to feature
After the flagbearers have all been introduced, the rest of the athletes – hundreds of them – enter the arena.
The French contingent are lapping up the love from the home crowd.
This process is much more swift and efficient than at the opening ceremony.
Here come the flags
Now the crowd is engaged as flag-waving athletes enter the arena two by two.
Trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page and triathlon champion Alex Yee are the Team GB flagbearers.
Crowd getting restless
The first live musical number inside the Stade de France is a choral rendition of Sous le Ciel.
It’s pretty impressive but seemingly not what the fans have come to see.
The performance is frequently interrupted by whooping and cheering from the stands.
The Olympic flame is collected
The Olympic flame has been collected from the cauldron in the Tuileries garden.
It will now make its way to the Stade de France.
Music in the garden
I had said that tonight’s closing ceremony was all taking place inside the Stade de France.
That is seemingly not 100% accurate as the first song of the night is being performed in the Tuileries Garden.
It is shown on the big screens in the stadium.
This is a gentle start to the evening and very French. Expect the night to get much more American as it goes on.
Here we go!
Music begins to play and the stage is revealed.
It is a replica of the world map.
Take your seats…
The 80,000-capacity Stade de France is completely sold out for tonight’s event.
However, the stadium is not completely full just yet.
Hurry up latecomers, the ceremony is only five minutes away.
The stage is set…
There’s little more than 20 minutes to go until the party gets underway at the Stade de France.
Who is performing tonight?
LA28 has confirmed that Californians Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg are performing tonight.
Meanwhile, H.E.R. will sing the Star Spangled Banner in Paris as France passes the baton over to the USA ahead of the next Games.
There have also been rumours about Tom Cruise being involved in some capacity but nothing has been officially confirmed at this stage.
Opening ceremony recap
The closing ceremony is expected to be fun, colourful and exciting.
However, it is likely to be a more simple occasion than the opening ceremony just over a fortnight ago.
For one, it is taking place at the Stade de France, rather than all over Paris.
Also, no rain is forecast in Paris this evening.
Revisit the opening ceremony below with the photo gallery below.
Final medal table
As previously mentioned, the USA finished first, with Team GB seventh.
Click below to see the table in full.
How did Team GB do?
Great Britain ended the Games with 14 golds, 22 silvers and 29 bronzes.
Only the USA (129) and China (91) won more medals than Team GB (65).
However, Britain ended seventh in the medal table because Japan, Australia, France and the Netherlands all won more golds.
Great Britain finished fourth at Tokyo three years ago with 22 golds, 20 silvers and 22 bronzes (64 overall).
Who won Paris 2024?
Earlier this summer, multiple American television channels were mocked for claiming that Team USA were top of the medal table.
China were leading at that point based on the official table, which ranks nations based primarily on how many golds they have won.
But the USA had won more medals overall.
Well, the USA ended the Games with 40 golds – double the tally of any other nation other than China.
China also won 40 golds, but were 35 behind the Americans overall.
How has day 16 gone so far?
The final day of competition at the 2024 Olympic Games began early with the women’s marathon, which was won by Sifan Hassan in an Olympic record time of 2:22:55.
Then came the finales of the handball, water polo, wrestling, weightlifting, pentathlon and track cycling events.
The final sporting competition of the Games was the women’s basketball gold medal match between France and the USA, with the Americans winning 67-66
Good evening
That was the 2024 Olympic Games.
All of the events have finished and all of the medals dished out. Now all that remains is tonight’s closing ceremony, which is due to begin at 8pm (UK time).
Stick with Mail Sport to follow the action live as the show concludes at the Stade de France.
Key Updates
Who is performing tonight?
Opening ceremony recap
Final medal table
How did Team GB do?
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2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony: Summer Games come to a close following Team GB claiming 14 gold medals, 65 in total with Billie Eilish and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers set to feature