H.E.R. to Sing American National Anthem at Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony

H.E.R. has been selected to perform the American National Anthem during the closing ceremony of 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, as confirmed by People. The musician will sing the iconic song at the Stade de France on Sunday, Aug. 11, as part of the handover from Paris to Los Angeles, which will host the summer games in 2028.

The closing ceremony will mark the end of the Paris Olympics, which kicked off the games with an extensive opening ceremony set along the Seine. As part of the ceremony, Tom Cruise will perform a Tom Cruise-esque stunt to honor the Olympic flag hand-off from Paris to Los Angeles. Part of the stunt reportedly involves a pre-taped segment involving the Hollywood sign, which was shot in March.

Two Team USA’s big gold medal winners, swimmer Katie Ledecky and rower Nick Mead, were chosen as the flag bearers for the closing ceremony. Ledecky, who now boasts a totle of 14 Olympic medals, told press, “I am so proud of this team’s accomplishments in Paris and excited to celebrate with my teammates on Sunday.”

Although the Olympics have not officially confirmed the other performers for Sunday night, rumors have flown that French artists Air and Phoenix will take the stage. Variety reported that Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to perform from LA in a mix of live and taped performances. Last night, Charli XCX seemingly teased a collaboration with Eilish, responding to the news on social media with “you wanna guess.”

According to Variety, at the end of the closing ceremony, Los Angles Mayor Karen Bass will accept the Olympic Torch to bring it home.

“As per the tradition, Los Angeles has prepared a sort of teaser that lasts 10 to 15 minutes, and it’s dedicated to them, to show what their Olympic games will look like — and they’ve had all the freedom to create their segment,” the closing ceremony’s executive director Thierry Reboul told Variety in a separate interview. “It’s going to include lots of things. We’re in charge of producing some things for them, but they are 100 percent in charge of it.”

The Los Angeles Summer Olympics will take place July 14 to July 30, 2028.