2024 Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony Steers Clears of Controversy After Divisive Opening
The 2024 Paris Olympics concluded with the Sunday, August 11 closing ceremony following the controversy surrounding the opening ceremony.
From artistic director Thomas Jolly — who was also responsible for the July 26 opening ceremony, which draw outrage from some viewers and religious groups — the closing ceremony featured performances from rock band Phoenix, French DJ Kavinsky, singer H.E.R. and a suspenseful hand-off to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles featuring Tom Cruise.
There was plenty of French flair on hand, as well. In a segment of the ceremony called "Records," a golden traveler played by French breakdancer Arthur Cadre paid homage to the creation of the Olympic Games. According to organizers, Cadre was joined by 270 performers who helped excavate the Olympic rings from the depths.
The ceremony reached its emotional peak when the Olympic flame was extinguished as French singer Yseult sang a version of "My Way," made famous by Frank Sinatra.
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While the ceremony was certainly memorable, it's hard to imagine it leading to any mass indignation like its opening ceremony predecessor.
The summer games kicked off with an elaborate four-hour opening ceremony in Paris on July 26. While highlights included performances by Céline Dion and Lady Gaga amid the stunning scenery of the Eiffel Tower and the River Seine, one segment that featured drag queens and dancers at a long table drew backlash from some viewers due to its resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” painting of Jesus and his apostles.
Some claimed via social media that the scene was a “mockery” and “insulting to Christian people,” while others applauded the inclusivity of the moment. The official X account for the Olympics clarified on July 26 that the imagery was meant to represent the Greek God Dionysus rather than the story of the Last Supper from the Bible, explaining, “The interpretation of the Greek God Dionysus makes us aware of the absurdity of violence between human beings.”
Jolly, the ceremony’s artistic director, said in a July 27 press conference that he did not intend “to be subversive,” “mock” or “shock.”
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“We wanted to include everyone, as simple as that,” he elaborated. “In France, we have freedom of creation, artistic freedom. We are lucky in France to live in a free country. I didn’t have any specific messages that I wanted to deliver. In France, we are republic, we have the right to love whom we want, we have the right not to be worshippers, we have a lot of rights in France, and this is what I wanted to convey.”
The following day, Jolly confirmed that he did not consider “The Last Supper” while crafting the segment.
“It was not my inspiration, the Christian Last Supper,” he told French news channel BFM-TV on July 28. “There is [Dionysus], who is at this table. He is there because he is the god of celebration in Greek mythology, the god of wine, who is one of the jewels of France.”
He added: “And the father of Sequana, the goddess who is related to the river, the Seine. The idea was to have a Pagan festival linked to the Gods of Olympus. You will never find in me a desire to mock and denigrate anyone.”
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That same day, Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps apologized amid the backlash.
“Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think that Thomas Jolly really tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said in a press conference. “We believe that this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offense, we are really sorry.”
