How to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony: start time, schedule and Tom Cruise cameo

The Eiffel Tower during the 2020 Olympic closing ceremony's handover segment.
(Image credit: Li Yang/China News Service via Getty Images)

After two amazing weeks of sports, drama and Snoop Dogg, the Olympic closing ceremony on Sunday, August 11 will mark the end of the Paris games and also celebrate the baton being passed to Los Angeles for the next Olympics.

Quick links

US: Peacock | NBC
UK: iPlayer | BBC (free with license fee) | Discovery Plus
AU: Stan Sports | 9Now (free)
Watch abroad with a VPN

The capstone on the 2024 Olympic games, the Closing Ceremony is set to celebrate all the events with its theme, 'Records' nodding to all the various world records that have been broken over the last fortnight.

Event organizers have been keeping the Olympic Closing Ceremony itinterary close to the chest but rumors point to a stunt from Tom Cruise to formally move the Olympics to Los Angeles for 2028, and perhaps secret live performances too.

It's hard to guess right now what will happen at the Olympic Closing Ceremony; the only way to know is by tunnig in to watch it. So here's everything you need to know about how to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony including streaming options and when it'll take place.

How to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony in the US

You can stream the Olympic Closing Ceremony or watch it on TV, whatever's easiest. It'll take place on Sunday, August 11 at 3 pm ET/midday PT and is expected to last for about two and a half hours.

On TV, you can use NBC's channel to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony at those times. It'll be preceded by a recap of the events of the games called Best of Paris from 2 pm ET/11 am PT.

The main way to stream 2024 Olympic Closing Ceremony is by using Peacock, which has been the main way to watch all of the games this year, and you can also use it to stream Best of Paris.

A subscription to Peacock starts at $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year for its ad-enabled tier and jumps up to $11.99 / $119.99 for its ad-free one. Here's how to watch the Olympics on Peacock, for if you need extra information.

How to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony in the UK

There are a few options for watching the Olympic Closing Ceremony in the UK. It begins at 8 pm and is expected to run until roughly 10:30 pm.

You can watch the ceremony on BBC One from that time and also on iPlayer if you'd rather watch online, and both of these options are free to those who pay their license fee.

The Closing Ceremony is also airing on Discovery Plus, which isn't free, and costs £6.99 per month for its Standard tier. If you're already subscribed because of its fantastic coverage of the games so far then you can watch this way, but it's probably not worth paying just for the final ceremony.

How to watch Olympic Closing Ceremony in Australia

You can watch the Olympic closing ceremony for free in Australia, both on TV and online. The catch is that it begins at 4 am on Monday, August 12!

On TV you can watch the ceremony on Nine, Nine HD and Gem channels, while online you can tune in via 9Now.

How to watch Olympic Closing Ceremony everywhere else

If you're going to be away from your normal TV setup but still want to watch the Olympic Closing Ceremony, you might run into some problems. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 

A VPN lets you change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to your favorite sports, shows, movies or other content even if you're not there. Our favorite is NordVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

  • Download the app at NordVPN
  • Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
  • Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
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NordVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want, from wherever you want to watch it.

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free. Give it a go.

All you need to know about the Olympic Closing Ceremony

When does the Olympic Closing Ceremony begin?

The Olympic Closing Ceremony starts kater than the Opening Ceremony by half an hour.

The event begins at 3 pm ET/midday PT/8 pm UK/4 am AEST (the next day). It's expected to run for two and a half hours, roughly.

Where does the Olympic Closing Ceremony take place?

Unlike the Opening Ceremony, the Olympics' finale will be hosted in one location.

The Olympic Closing Ceremony wil take place at the Stade de France in Paris' northern outskirts.

How to watch other Olympic sports

If you want specific information on other Olympic sports, here are guides we have to the other activities which will be shown as part of the Paris Olympic games:

Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Writer

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.