The 2024 Paris Olympics have come to an end, with the closing ceremony going down Sunday at Stade de France. To help say “Au revoir” in true French style, local artists — including Phoenix, Air, and more — performed.
Phoenix performed their hit “Lisztomania” to usher in the party portion of the ceremony. Set up on a small stage in the center of the stadium, and surrounded by a crowd of Olympic athletes, the band delivered an upbeat rendition of the 2009 classic, to a warm response from the crowd. Then, they helped the DJ Kavinsky perform “Nightcall,” before diving into their 2000 track “If I Ever Feel Better.”
From there, they welcomed a number of guests, including Air — who performed their 2000 song “Playground Love” — and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, who sang “Tonight” with the group. Then, Phoenix closed their portion of the ceremony with another hit: “1901.” Watch videos of the performances below.
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Later in the closing ceremony, Paris handed off the Olympic flag to the next host city, Los Angeles, who enlisted Tom Cruise to deliver it to Hollywood in classic Tom Cruise style. Then, Red Hot Chili Peppers kicked off a segment showcasing Californian music with performances by Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.
Phoenix, who first formed in the Parisian suburb Versailles in 1995, released their most recent album, Alpha Zulu, in 2022. This year, they celebrated the 15th anniversary of their seminal release, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and recently spoke with Consequence about the album’s legacy and impact. Up next, they’re booked for a handful of live appearances in Japan, France, and the UK (get tickets).
As for Air, they also formed in Versailles in 1995, and released a string of acclaimed albums between 1998 and 2012. Through the rest of 2024, they will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1998 album Moon Safari with a number of live shows, including a North American tour kicking off in September and stopping in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and many more cities. Get tickets here.
olympics had phoenix at their closing ceremony indie sleaze is back in full force omg pic.twitter.com/61R3YD69HU
— tom hardy’s slutty blonde wig (@jewelbundrn) August 11, 2024
Phoenix + Air! Maravilla pic.twitter.com/uFn3yV8aY1
— CrisPérez (@pixelperro) August 11, 2024
Playground love de Air con Phoenix es lo único que necesito en mi vida en estos momentos #Paris2024 #CeremoniaDeClausura pic.twitter.com/xAhBr7aK7g
— Dan (@dan_Stereo) August 11, 2024
