Closing Ceremony Live: Highlights and Performances as Tokyo Closes the Games

The Olympic Games have always been a time to cheer for the host city, but this year’s closing ceremony in Tokyo may go down as the most memorable in history. As the world’s first city to host the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, the host city of Tokyo is projecting the Olympics to be a success, but it’s up to you to decide if you believe them…

In the closing ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the United States and Japan combined to present a spectacular tribute to the athletes who have competed, and a call to action for those who will still be here when the Tokyo 2024 Paralympic Games take place. It was a visually stunning and emotionally powerful event as, simultaneously, the world’s most talented and dedicated athletes came together in the Olympic Stadium to compete in the Paralympic Games and to celebrate the last presentation in the Paralympic Games.

The closing ceremony for the 2024 Tokyo Games will begin at 7 p.m. Japan Standard Time when Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will make his final address to the world. It will be broadcast live from the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, and the ceremony will also be shown on TV.. Read more about tokyo 2024 closing ceremony time and let us know what you think.

Tokyo time is 10:16 p.m. on August 8th.

Important Updates:

9:06 a.m. ET, August 8, 2024
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In the midst of the epidemic, was it a success? It all depends on your point of view.
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The Japanese culture that was absent from the opening ceremony is now on display during the closing ceremony.
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A significant omission exists at a moment of recollection.
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The handover portion of Paris 2024 is almost entirely captured on camera.
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The flying Olympic rings above the stadium were entirely television visual effects.

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The ovation for Bach’s statement, “We did it – together!” was considerably louder than the clapping for the volunteers.

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Bach said, “We accomplished it.” That’s a significant achievement in the age of pandemics.

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Organizers frequently promoted the Games as “safe and secure” in the run-up to and during the Games, describing athletes and others inside the Olympic bubble as “the most tested community virtually anyplace in the world.” At the closing ceremony, Thomas Bach reiterated similar idea, mentioning the coronavirus epidemic and adding that the athletes offered people hope.

Since early July, 436 individuals connected to the Olympics have tested positive for the virus, almost two-thirds of whom are Japanese citizens. Only three of the Olympic-related patients ended up in the hospital, according to the Tokyo organizing committee, and none of them required critical care and have since been discharged.

However, since the Games began on July 23, the number of daily cases outside the Tokyo bubble has more than quadrupled. The number of individuals on ventilators has begun to put a strain on the city’s medical system. Some experts believe that by hosting the Games, the organizers implied to the general public that things were normalizing and that it was acceptable to go out and engage in behaviors that may have contributed to the increase in infections, especially since vaccine rollout in Japan has been much slower than in other affluent nations.

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Thomas Bach mentions the epidemic, but praises the athletes for giving millions of people hope. He also expresses gratitude to the Japanese people, who, for the most part, did not want the Olympics to be hosted in their country.

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Seiko Hashimoto, head of the Tokyo Olympic Committee, expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the Olympics while also reminded everyone that Tokyo still has work to do: the Paralympics are coming up next.

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There was no sign language interpreter displayed on the jumbotrons during the opening ceremony. Following an outcry on social media, this time there are translators present while both Seiko Hashimoto and Thomas Bach speak.

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Credit: The New York Times/Hiroko Masuike

The closing ceremony featured Japanese cultural touchstones that were almost completely absent from the opening ceremony, from taiko drumming and Harajuku street fashion to J-pop songs and Ainu dance.

In some ways, this celebration of Japan on the last day of the Olympics also highlighted what was missing from these Games: the unique combination of humor and seriousness that distinguishes Tokyo.

Whether it’s baseball or baked products, Japan has a penchant for adapting foreign customs to its own. Add to it old practices that flourished for millennia on an island chain that remained isolated.

Athletes and other members of Olympic teams were barred from entering Tokyo for fear of contaminating a city plagued by coronavirus outbreaks. That’s all right. At the very least, they got a glimpse of Tokyo’s charm at the closing ceremony, or “chotto,” as we call in Japanese.

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Tea-leaf readers scrutinized Juan Antonio Samaranch’s remarks while he was president of the Olympic Committee: if he explicitly declared a Games the “greatest ever,” it indicated he loved it. He felt dissatisfied if he just stated it was “a fantastic Games” or anything like. Here’s Thomas Bach to comment on a rather unique Games.

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The New York Times’ James Hill is to thank for this image.

Rather of the more traditional minute of quiet, a dancer and a taiko drummer honored the moment of remembering in the closing ceremony. During the opening ceremony, Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, paid tribute to athletes who had perished in past Olympics, notably Israeli competitors murdered in a terrorist assault during the 1972 Munich Games.

A pointed omission in the closing moment was any mention of the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, whose 76th anniversaries passed this week without any mention by the Olympic organizers. Civic leaders and survivors had appealed to Bach to observe a moment of silence on Aug. 6, the date of the U.S. dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. But the I.O.C. declined to do so, saying that it would not single out any particular country but would offer a moment of silence during the closing ceremony to cover all past tragedies.

This decision infuriated survivors, especially because Bach had visited Hiroshima before the Games.

Toshiyuki Mamiki, acting chairman of the Japan Confederation of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb Sufferers Organization, said, “At the Olympic Games, a festival for peace, there should be no objection for everyone involved to have a silent prayer for the many lives lost by the atomic bomb and the victims of war.” “President Bach took the time to visit the Hiroshima atomic bombarded region and see the museum in order to understand the devastating effects of nuclear weapons. As someone who has witnessed Hiroshima, I think the very least that can be done is to recognize what occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in some way.”

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The New York Times’ James Hill is to thank for this image.

Every closing ceremony anticipates the next Games, which will take place in four, or in this instance three, years.

Paris was given the floor for around 10 minutes after a good dose of Japanese music and dancing. Because transporting a large number of performers from Paris to Tokyo would be difficult, the closing performance relied almost completely on video – an uncommon decision for a closing ceremony.

For decades, films featuring the city’s famous beautiful vistas and roofs have helped promote it as a destination for honeymoons, school vacations, and big sports events.

The show ended with a segment from the famed monument with a cheering crowd — perhaps packed uncomfortably close — on the Champs de Mars. France has never been afraid to use the Eiffel Tower for marketing purposes, and the show ended with a segment from the famed monument with a cheering crowd — perhaps packed uncomfortably close — on the Champs de Mars.

There will also be a jet flyover and break dance, which will make its Olympic debut at the Paris Games.

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Athletes who had to return home early after the Olympics in Tokyo are assisting with the handover.

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With this ad, France is unmistakably courting the young vote.

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Playing the saxophone in space would be a life ambition for me if I were younger.

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It’s never too late, as our buddy Dodai Stewart can attest.

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La Marseillaise’s martial, stirring character is muted by the flute.

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Super Mario is unlikely to return to give up the Olympic banner. In 2016, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accepted the flag in Rio de Janeiro dressed as the video game character.

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For me, it was the most memorable part of the 2016 closing ceremony.

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That was the case. And a great illustration of why one of Japan’s soft power symbols was conspicuously missing from the opening ceremony.

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Tomotaka Okamoto, a tenor who sang the Olympic song, wears his hair in a grey purple hue that is now trendy in Harajuku salons. “Ash,” I believe they call it.

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The Tokyo governor, Yuriko Koike, is dressed in a traditional kimono and speaks English and Arabic.

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Obon isn’t a depressing holiday. The festivities that take place all across Japan at this time of year are full of joy, but seeing the Obon dance in an empty stadium serves as a harsh reminder of the world’s losses over the previous year.

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The Canadians are attempting to imitate the bon odori movements with vigour.

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Modern enka, or Japanese ballad music, was a staple of the go-go 1980s, when Japan was on its way to becoming the world’s second-largest economy.

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We’re getting ready to do some traditional dancing. A reference to the Japanese Obon festival, which takes place in late summer each year to commemorate the spirits of the deceased.

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Obon will begin on Friday.

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In a typical year, individuals would be returning home to spend time with their family around this time.

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The Akito bon odori dance reminds me of visiting my grandmother as a kid and going to a nearby park to dance, play with water balloons, and attempt to catch a goldfish in a little plastic pool.

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The Ainu people are represented via an interpretative dance. The Ainu are Japan’s indigenous people who have been persecuted for generations. There are just a few individuals on the planet who speak an Ainu language.

Credit… The New York Times/Alexandra Garcia

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You may shatter your arm if you strike the taiko incorrectly. Perhaps it should be included to the Olympic Games as a new sport.

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Taiko, on the other hand, was conspicuously absent from the opening ceremony. Nothing like these huge drums for getting your pulse pumping.

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During one of the karate competitions, a volunteer cleans a bench. Credit… The New York Times/Hiroko Masuike

Thousands of volunteers serve as the backbone of every Olympics, driving official cars, collecting water, and carrying Olympic prizes. They were also among the most obvious and numerous presences in the venues that were devoid of spectators this time in Tokyo.

They had a variety of responsibilities, including cleaning sweat off table tennis tables, retrieving soccer balls kicked over the goal into empty stadium seats, and mopping the gym floor after basketball games.

Sumika Yoneda, 22, who was in charge of guiding press photographers into the National Stadium’s “moat” for athletics events, was astounded by how quickly the photographers would rush to capture a shot when an athlete collapsed on the track. Yoneda, who was on duty during the closing ceremony, stated, “It was so unexpected to me at first, thinking about the athletes’ emotions.” “It’s not the first thing that comes to mind, but I suppose that’s what a photographer does.”

Journalists in general appeared to startle the volunteers’ sensitivities. Journalists, according to Rachel Leng, 31, are “extremely strong-minded.” They “are very creative in trying to get into the media seats even if they don’t have the proper ticket — they’ll try to hide their badges, or some will come in once and then leave and give their credential to a colleague who doesn’t have the right to be in the space and pass it off as themselves, it’s been a mess!”

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Now it’s time to pay homage to the tens of thousands of Olympic volunteers. Given how hard they work, sometimes on unpleasant jobs, this is absolutely acceptable. On the other hand, there’s the vexing issue of why an institution like the I.O.C., which is flush with television cash, depends on unpaid labor in the first place.

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When an agenda reads “the next protocol element is…”, you know you’re not going to get much excitement out of it. It turns out that we’ll be introduced to several new members of the IOC’s athletes’ commission.

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In approximately 13 hours, we’ll find out, but this is usually when announcers say, “And we’ll be right back.”

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When marathon silver medallist Abdi Nageeye waved his bronze medalist buddy Bashir Abdi over the finish line, it was one of the most touching moments of the Olympics.

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It’s worth mentioning that many nations won their first medals at these Games when the medalists for the men’s and women’s marathons are announced. Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines earned the first gold medal for the Philippines in women’s weightlifting. San Marino won not just its first but also its second medal, making it the smallest nation to ever finish on the podium. Bermuda won gold in the women’s triathlon, becoming the smallest country ever to do so in the Summer Games.

Burkina Faso earned its first medal in the men’s triple jump, taking bronze. Turkmenistan also won their first medal in women’s weightlifting, a silver.

Diaz, a Filipino lifter, stated after her unexpected victory in the 55 kilogram weight lifting category, “It’s amazing.” “I never imagined anything like this would happen today.”

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Kenya, like the rest of Africa and Asia, is experiencing a catastrophic coronavirus outbreak. One can only imagine the difficulties that some of these sportsmen will encounter when they return home.

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For some, Molly Seidel’s award was a pleasant surprise. She seems to be overjoyed.

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The top marathon finishers are usually presented with medals at the closing ceremony. The men’s marathon has always been the focus of the event, but this year the women will be included as well.

So here’s to Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye, and Belgium’s Bashir Abdi. Also present were Kenyans Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kosgei, as well as American Molly Seidel.

The New York Times’ James Hill is to thank for this image.

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It’s time for the national anthem! All hail Greece, the originator of the Olympic Games in 776 B.C. (and again in 1896 A.D.).

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It’s difficult not to be disappointed that the majority of Olympic visitors did not get to experience this side of Tokyo in person. And the hundreds of others who want to see it but were unable to do so.

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The New York Times’ James Hill is to thank for this image.

Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park, a large green area in the city center known for its people-watching possibilities, is only a short walk from the Olympic Stadium. Despite the pandemic and the oppressive summer heat, it has been bustling with familiar faces — such as a rockabilly dance troupe that performs every weekend — and a steady stream of Tokyoites partaking in traditional park activities such as jogging, picnicking, yoga, and spontaneous musical performances.

However, because to coronavirus limitations, athletes are unable to visit the park or any of the city’s other well-known tourist attractions. To compensate for the lost chance, organizers have built a false park within the stadium, replete with artificial grass, calming light effects, and buskers. The arrangement, according to the organizers, is meant to offer players a flavor of the city they’ve never seen before: “Just like a Sunday afternoon in a park in Tokyo.”

A ska band played a brassy soundtrack while athletes wandered about the field snapping photos, and parkgoers were clad in pink ponchos. For most of the athletes competing in this year’s Olympics, though, this dummy park will be the closest they’ll get to the real thing. They must return home 48 hours after their event finishes, and there are no tourist options.

However, there have been a few exceptions: two Georgian athletes had their credentials withdrawn when Japanese media claimed that they were photographed in Tokyo Tower. They had already completed their task.

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Milet’s rendition of “Hymne à l’amour” makes me want to return to a tiny Tokyo jazz club with live music.

Credit: The New York Times/Alexandra Garcia

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A reminder that Japan is also the home of sugary ballads. With a decent backbeat, to boot.

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Hannah, to be sure. They also like torchy renditions of classic jazz songs.

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Motoko, you are exactly correct. The serendipity of the streets, one minute all light and bustle, the next quiet and respectful at a shrine or perfectly formed topiary, is what makes Tokyo so unique.

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Tokyo has been wonderful even throughout the epidemic. It’s a pity it wasn’t given more chances to share itself with the rest of the world.

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DJ Matsunaga’s short interlude was fantastic. In 2019, he allegedly won the world’s largest DJ competition in London.

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In addition, it serves as a good reminder of how popular turntablism is in Japan (like so many countries). I’m hoping the French organizers are taking notes…

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Japan has a talent for taking foreign treasures like chocolate, jazz, and whisky and making them uniquely Japanese. The opening ceremony lacked a whimsical, creative pleasure, and this exhibit fills that need. This song reminds me of summers in Tokyo as a kid, with shaved ice syrup dripping down my chin and fireworks smoke curling in the air.

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Scenes from a Tokyo park are reenacted by performers. Looks like we’ve got capoeira, stunt bikers, juggling, and double dutch on our hands. A lot more lively than a normal day at the park.

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It seems to be a flash mob!

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A reminder that Tokyo is the fashion center of the world.

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Actors are now recreating a day spent in a Tokyo park. I don’t see anybody who resembles the 50s-style greasers that frequent Yoyogi Park near the 1964 Olympic stadium, rocking out to rockabilly.

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The stadium as it appeared on television when the huge rings were created using computer-generated imagery. Credit… The New York Times’ James Hill

How many different ways are there to show the Olympic rings? Let’s see… flames, luminous forms, costumed performers, fireworks… all of these have been done before. Original concepts must be difficult to come up with since the Games are held every two years (oh, typically).

This time, the option is to make rings out of small bits of light. The impact, however, is only apparent on television screens. It’s all special effects wizardry. Athletes and spectators in the stadium see nothing. It’s difficult to see organizers attempting anything like this during a regular Olympics with paying viewers in the stands.

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The organizers attempted to use the players’ smartphones to power the light display. However, there aren’t enough people in the audience to make it work.

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There will be a lot of covers and instrumental references to your favorite tunes tonight. Like Cheryl Lynn’s “Got to Be Real.”

Closing ceremonies for the XXVIII summer games are in full swing in Tokyo, Japan. The day is a mixture of athleticism, excitement, and world-class talent. As the Olympics come to a close, the world is watching in awe at the incredible athleticism and diverse talent of the world’s best athletes. And, as that happens, the world is also watching the closing ceremonies, which are overwhelming, but also deeply moving and emotional.. Read more about tokyo 2024 opening ceremony time and let us know what you think.