Tom Cruise steals the show at Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony

What did you miss?

BBC One broadcast the hotly-anticipated Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday evening following 16 days of sporting sparkle across the French capital.

With the Summer 2028 competition set to be situated in Los Angeles, the rumour mill was in overdrive ahead of the big show; musical acts Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg were all expected to feature as representatives of the torch's next destination, as was Hollywood powerhouse and stunt extraordinaire Tom Cruise.

Once the Olympians had finished rightly patting themselves on the back during the medal-raising parade in the Stade de France – we could've honestly skipped the yawn-worthy (yet atmospheric) choreography that came afterwards – this televised spectacle finally produced the goods with some high-energy entertainment, waking up tired fans.

What, how and why?

The lights went out in the stadium with Cruise appearing suddenly via spotlight on its roof. The actor was then lowered onto the floor, where he made his way through swathes of starstruck sportspeople to collect the Olympic flag from LA mayor Karen Bass on stage.

Flag fastened to the back of it, he then rode out of shot on a motorbike as a pre-filmed sequence played out for viewers. This saw Cruise speeding past the Eiffel Tower and other Parisian monuments before jetting off and skydiving down to the famous Hollywood sign in L.A.

All of this was soundtracked by Chili Peppers classic By the Way, leading to another special recording from Venice Beach where they, along with Eilish, Snoop and hip-hop icon Dr Dre, sent the lucky attendees wild with renditions of Can't Stop, Birds of a Feather and The Next Episode.

What else happened in the Olympics closing ceremony?

Before the Mission: Impossible megastar's rather un-secret cameo came about, local indie rockers Phoenix launched into rollicking versions of their hit tunes Lisztomania and 1901 while fellow Versailles originators Air stopped by for a quick collaboration.

Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig was briefly on stage too after electronica outfit Kavinsky belted out 'Nightcall' from Ryan Gosling's Drive soundtrack.

Phoenix's Thomas Mars wrapped up this musical interlude by dropping into the nearby athlete congregation. It ended with him standing on their shoulders and signing off with a salute.

Read more:

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France's president Emmanuel Macron was then one of several dignitaries who took to the stage, highlighting the country's achievements over the last couple of weeks to the millions watching around the world. The Olympic flag was then passed onto Karen Bass before the artist H.E.R performed The Star-Spangled Banner.

How did viewers react on social media?

After such a protracted buildup, the column inches of social media were thrumming with excitedness as these wonderful guests strutted their stuff. The general consensus did seem to be that Cruise was the only highlight of the entire ceremony, though.

"Nothing has ever made me feel as patriotic as watching Tom Cruise descend from the heavens to electric guitar, take the olympic flag on his motorcycle, ride onto a plane and then parachute out in LA to the red hot chili peppers. America on top once again," wrote one X user.

"#ClosingCeremony is ending half the stadium has left early presumably because no one has known what has been going on. What a dismal, ridiculous show. What a damp squib. It only came alive with the handing over to LA. @TomCruise's arrival was spectacular the one moment of joy," argued another.

You can stream Paris 2024 Olympics highlights over on BBC iPlayer, while the Paralympic Games kicks off on 28 August.