Olympic opening ceremonies might be a spectacle to behold, but closing ceremonies are the cherry on top. After weeks of grueling athletic challenges and national pride, all participating countries come together to celebrate the games as one in rousing displays of unity, showmanship, entertainment, and the culture of the current and future host countries. In honor of these notable moments of global history, we take a look at some of the best Summer Olympic closing ceremony performances of all time, from alien encounters to a New Orleans funeral and lots in between.
London 2012
There are star-studded performances, and then there was the closing ceremony for the London Olympics 2012. True to its name, the “Symphony of British Music” was a stunning tribute to British musicians past and present. Notable performances included Ray Davies of The Kinks doing “Waterloo Sunset,” Annie Lennox singing “Little Bird,” Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and other rock and rollers performing “Wish You Were Here,” and Jessie J joining forces with Queen to sing “We Will Rock You.”
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Even the Spice Girls reunited for the momentous occasion, performing their iconic hits “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life.” English rock band the Who performed the finale, offering the crowd a nonstop medley of classics like “Baba O’Riley” and “My Generation.”
Sydney 2000
Sydney’s 2000 closing ceremony saved the party for the very end after the more somber Olympic traditions were through. The finale slash dance party featured a wide array of Australian icons, including Vanessa Amorosi, John Paul Young, Tommy Emmanuel, INXS, and others. Kylie Minogue was also in attendance, sporting a stunning pink, bedazzled leotard and feather headdress as she sang ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
The Sydney 2000 ceremony ended with all the stars culminating on stage to perform “Down Under” with Men at Work. Then, Slim Dusty, known as the Australian King of Country Music, led the crowd in a rousing singalong of the bush ballad “Waltzing Matilda.”
Rio De Janeiro 2016
As is only appropriate for the location of the largest carnival in the world, the Rio De Janeiro Olympics 2016 closing ceremony was a fantastical explosion of color, music, and dancing. Brazilian singer Mariene de Castro performed “Pelo Tempo Que Durar” to the excited crowd, and immediately after, a massive carnival-inspired festival broke out with hundreds of colorful performers and musicians highlighting the rhythms and musical stylings native to the South American nation.
This Summer Olympics closing ceremony also featured a notable preview of the next host country, Japan, with video presentations featuring famous video game characters like Pac-Man, Mario, and Captain Tsubasa.
Atlanta 1996
The closing ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics was a touching, powerful tribute to both American popular music as a whole and Southern culture specifically. Beginning with a New Orleans-style funeral that eventually dissolves into a swinging, brassy celebration, notable performances included B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Sheila E., Gloria Estefan, Al Green, the Pointer Sisters, and Little Richard.
Although every artist on the lineup delivered immense performances, perhaps one of the most memorable was Stevie Wonder’s rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” A powerful song in its own right, the tearful rendition was even more poignant as it served as a tribute to the victims of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing that occurred a week earlier in Atlanta.
Los Angeles 1984
The Los Angeles Summer Olympics of 1984’s closing ceremony might not have had a star-studded lineup of famous, award-winning musicians, but it was quite the production nonetheless, earning its spot on our list of best Summer Olympic closing ceremony performances of all time. After various choral and instrumental performances paid homage to both the games and the future host country, South Korea, things got a bit more…extraterrestrial. As the symphony performed Richard Strauss’ “Einleitung” of ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra,’ a flying UFO started floating above the Coliseum.
Finally, a fantastic laser light show escorted in a seven-foot-tall alien that commended the city of Los Angeles (and Earthlings in general) for upholding the Olympic ideals, declaring proudly, “I salute you.”
Photo by Roland Hoskins/ANL/Shutterstock
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