The handoff of the Summer Olympic Games from Paris to Los Angeles just got a lot louder. Performances by Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are expected to be featured in the Closing Ceremony of the Paris games on Sunday, multiple sources told Variety.
All three artists will be seen from Los Angeles in a mix of pre-taped and live performances. Producer Ben Winston, who is no stranger to live music events as the producer of the Grammy Awards and CBS’ 2021 “Adele: One Night Only” special, is coordinating with French producers of the Closing Ceremony.
Tensions are high around live music events this week after authorities in Austria thwarted a terrorist attack plot during Taylor Swift’s planned three-night stand in Vienna with her “The Eras Tour.” Two high-ranking Individuals familiar with the planning for the surprise L.A. concert stunt said security and crowd control has been a point of concern for local officials even before the alarming news from Vienna. Security, which doesn’t come cheap, will have to account for potential threats from air, land and sea in Los Angeles. In a nod to those heightened fears, Variety has agreed to withhold the location of the performance.
At the Closing Ceremony, the musical performances from Los Angeles are expected to follow a much-hyped stunt from Tom Cruise, news of which leaked last week. Cruise will jump on his motorcycle for an average day of death-defying tricks in France, before tossing to a prerecorded package that will see him parachute down next to the iconic Hollywood sign. The L.A.-affiliated musicians will take it from there.
It’s not hard to figure why Eilish, Snoop and the Chili Peppers were chosen. Eilish, one of the biggest pop sensations of the past decade, is a native whose 2021 concert film was titled “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.” Snoop Dogg, who has become an absolute internet darling in his role as on-air personality for NBC during the Paris Games, hails from Long Beach and is synonymous with West Coast rap. The Chili Peppers emerged out of L.A.’s punk scene in the 1980s. The band’s 1999 hit “Californication” is an anthem for the milk, honey, fruits and nuts that Los Angeles shelters.
At the end of Sunday’s Closing Ceremony, Los Angles Mayor Karen Bass will accept the Olympic Torch and bring it home (maybe in her carry-on luggage?) as she returns from Paris. As of next week, the city of Los Angeles has three years and 11 months to get ready for the Summer Games, which are scheduled to run from July 14 to July 30 in 2028.
(Pictured: Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg and Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers)
From Variety US