Getty Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir are hosting NBC's primetime coverage of the 2021 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony
As the 2021 Summer Olympic Games come to a close in Tokyo, Japan, the official Olympic flag will be passed over to the next host country — Paris, France, will host the 2024 Summer Olympics. There will also be a lineup of performances and speeches, a parade of nations, and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
Here is what we know about the 2021 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony performers.
Closing Ceremony Performers
The Closing Ceremony will air live from Japan National Stadium on Sunday, August 8 beginning at 7 a.m. Eastern/4 a.m. Pacific on NBC. You can also stream it live on Peacock TV or on the NBC Sports app. NBC will also be re-broadcasting the Closing Ceremony at 8 p.m. ET/PT Sunday evening.
The performers for Closing Ceremony included traditional Japanese dancing, with a solo from renowned dancer Aoi Yamada. There was also a drum presentation, a skateboarding exhibition, and a performance by the
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. Japanese all-female musical theater group The Takarazuka Revue performed the Japanese national anthem.
U.S. audiences can look forward to sportscaster Terry Gannon and Olympic athletes and frequent NBC Olympic correspondents Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir hosting NBC’s primetime coverage of the event.
The primetime broadcast will also feature the Jonas Brothers debuting a new Olympics inspired edition of their song “Remember This,” plus Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson introducing the Team USA athletes from the upcoming Paralympic Games.
The early morning live broadcast of the ceremony will be hosted by Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, the hosts of Peacock’s “Tokyo Live” throughout the Olympic Games. Kara Winger, a U.S. javelin thrower and four-time Olympian, will be the flag bearer for Team USA.
The theme for the Closing Ceremony is “worlds we share,” which the official Olympics website describes thusly:
During these past 17 days, we have witnessed individuals from a variety of cultures and backgrounds reach new heights together and connect through sport.
The Games have and will provide us with food for thought about diversity and inclusion as we continue on to the Paralympic Games.
Even if we cannot be together, we can share the same moment, and that is something that we will never forget. It is this salient message which we believe will create a Closing Ceremony that will open the door to a brighter future.
We hope that this ceremony may be a moment for each and every one of us to think about what the future holds.
Opening Ceremony Performers
For the 2021 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Japan featured an exhibition flight by its aerobatics squadron from the Japanese Air Force, a performance from Japanese singer Misia singing the Japanese National Anthem, a tribute to the victims of COVID-19, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan, and the victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. The tribute was performed by Japanese dance Mirai Moriyama.
There was also a dance performance during the unveiling of the Olympic rings, followed by the parade of nations, the swearing of the Olympic oath, and a performance of John Lennon’s song “Imagine.” That performance featured both live and remote performers including Angélique Kidjo, Alejandro Sanz, John Legend, Keith Urban, and the Suginami Junior Chorus.
The Olympic flame was carried by a host of Japanese athletic legends, plus a doctor and a nurse, a Paralympian, and a group of students. Dignitaries in the crowd included Japanese Emperor Naruhito, presidents and prime ministers from all over the world, the director of the World Health Organization, and the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden.
The 2021 Summer Olympic Games Closing Ceremony airs live Sunday, August 8 at 7 a.m. ET/4 a.m. PT on NBC; it will be rebroadcast in primetime on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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