Paris Paralympics 2024 Closing Ceremony Highlights

Paris bid goodbye to the Paralympic Games on Sunday night with a glittering extravaganza. The Paris Paralympics 2024 Closing Ceremony brought the curtain down on proceedings in France’s capital that began on .

After days of sporting rendezvous that saw the athletes touching new heights like never before, it was time to finally bid adieu to Paris. 

Paris Paralympics 2024: Until Next Time 

The closing ceremony officially commenced with a rendition of ‘Pour le meilleur’. 

The Marseillaise, the French national anthem, rang around the Stade de France. It was a solo, musical rendition by the acclaimed disabled French trumpeter André Feydy. The exhilarating performance was a new take on the French national anthem. 

The solo act was followed by the march of participating delegations. The flags of 169 nations, including the Paralympic Refugee Team, make a grand entrance at the Paris 2024 Paralympics Closing Ceremony. Aurelie Aubert and Tanguy De La Forest led the way for Team France, proudly carrying the national flag at their home Games!

“The most spectacular Paralympic Games ever,” said Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee. 

“For a country famous for its fashion and food, France is now famous for its fans,” he said, to raucous screams from more than 60,000 spectators at the Stade de France. Now it was time that “appreciation and applause must be followed by acceptance and action”, he said. It was time to break down barriers in society outside the playing field – from education to employment, government and entertainment.

With more competing countries than ever before, a record 169 delegations, more women and more global coverage, Paris 2024 had set a new benchmark for the Paralympic Games, said Parsons. 

The big surprise of the night – and one of the best musical performances – was the blind Malian singers Amadou and Mariam performing a stunning rendition of Serge Gainsbourg’s anthem about goodbyes, Je Suis Venu te Dire que Je M’en Vais, at the base of the ballon-borne Paralympic flame, just as it was extinguished.

To declare the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 officially over, Aurelie Aubert, Paralympic champion in Boccia extinguished the Paris 2024 flame. 

Also Read: Paris Paralympics 2024: Everything To know About The Trailblazing Event

The Paralympic flag was lowered down and handed to the United States as the American anthem was played in the background. A four year wait now for LA 2028.

Paris gave a send off with an astounding breakdance performance by many disabled dancers that drew gasps from the para athletes watching.

The 12- day Paralympics Games in Paris saw China top the medals table, followed by Great Britain for second place and the US in third as Los Angeles takes over the Olympic and Paralympic Games for 2028.