Paris recently concluded an exceptional two and a half weeks of Olympic competition and sentiment with a lavish show held in France’s national stadium and from Long Beach in Southern California. The French capital formally passed the torch of hosting duties for the Summer Games to the upcoming host city, Los Angeles in 2028.
Among the star-studded performances, Snoop Dogg, a standout in the Paris Olympics with various appearances on NBC, continued to captivate the audience with a pre-recorded show from his hometown in California. Snoop Dogg, after his rendition of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” delighted fans as he welcomed Dr. Dre on stage to perform their hit “The Next Episode” in Long Beach.
Billie Eilish mesmerized the crowd with her performance of “Birds of a Feather” from her third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” while the Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked the stage with their 2003 hit “Can’t Stop.”
Tom Cruise made a dramatic entrance reminiscent of his “Mission Impossible” stunts by descending from the top of Stade de France alongside H.E.R. playing the guitar. Cruise then thrilled the spectators by cruising through the audience on a motorcycle before embarking on a high-flying adventure, including parachuting into a farmland.
H.E.R. mesmerized the audience by performing the U.S. national anthem with a guitar in hand, accompanied by Olympic champion Simone Biles and Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass during the Paris-to-Los Angeles handover segment.
Additional musical acts included Parisian singer-model Yseult closing the show with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” originally derived from the French song “Comme d’habitude,” as well as a high-energy performance by French band Phoenix. Phoenix’s performance, featuring songs like “Lisztomania” and “If I Ever Feel Better,” was so energizing that some athletes couldn’t resist joining in on the stage, prompting security to intervene.
