Phoenix. AIR. Tom Cruise. Possibly Taylor Swift? Rumours are mounting over who will be performing at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The closing event, set to be titled "Records", will take place on Sunday 11 August in the Stade de France.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Paris opening ceremony was star-studded event but sure ruffled some feathers and continues to spark debate – with some performers and artistic director Thomas Jolly even receiving death threats over certain segments.
Against this backdrop and with the Paris Olympics in its final stretch, speculation is starting to mount over the closing ceremony on Sunday 11 August.
According to several sources and reports shared by French news outlet Le Parisien, Thomas Jolly is preparing quite the closing show, with rumoured performances from two celebrated French bands: Grammy winners Phoenix and electronic duo AIR, who have been on tour this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1998 debut album ‘Moon Safari’
The closing event, set to be titled "Records", will apparently span two hours and take place in the Stade de France. It will depict a “futuristic world where the Games have disappeared.”
French sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra told radio FranceInfo that she had “absolute confidence” that Jolly and his team would “dazzle the world” once again. She also added that there would be a “French touch though electro-pop which has been successful worldwide.”
Other stars rumoured to appear are the ubiquitous Snoop Dogg and growing speculation that none other than Taylor Swift could join in on the fun.
Swift has already taken part in promotional videos showing support for Team USA, and Swifties have suggested that the star could jet in from Vienna for the Sunday performance, considering The Eras Tour lands in Austria from 9-10 August.
Other stars spotted in Paris are Barbie director Greta Gerwig, Michelle Yeoh, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes. There have been strong rumors that Leonardo DiCaprio could also be flying in for the closing ceremony – although there are no indications that these A-listers are set to participate in the 11 August show.
The French Olympics committee has naturally remained tight lipped on the closing ceremony. However, they have revealed that the Stade de France will be transformed into a gigantic concert hall, with hundreds of performers, dancers and circus artists taking part alongside famous headlining acts.
One leak has all but been confirmed though: Tom Cruise will be making an appearance during the closing ceremony.
As previously reported, the 62-year-old Mission: Impossible star will reportedly take part in an elaborate stunt sequence. Cruise will be dropping in - quite literally - when the Olympic flag is handed over to LA, the 2028 games host city; the action star may skydive to the Hollywood sign during the orchestrated handoff.
According to TMZ, the stunt was shot in March. During the pre-taped segment, Cruise apparently rappels down the Stade de France in Paris, travel by airplane to Los Angeles, and end up at the famous Hollywood sign.
Cruise has been spotted in Paris during the games, including for the women’s gymnastics qualifiers as well as swimming competitions, and we already know that LA Mayor Karen Bass is set to receive the Olympic flag from Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
The Paris Olympics closing ceremony will run from 9pm to 11.15pm local time on Sunday 11 August.
