It’s time for the grand finale of what has been an unprecedented stretch in Olympic history.
With the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing nearly complete, the Olympic Games now have been played for the second time in six months. Despite numerous hurdles and an unusual Olympic timeframe, brought on by the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events were completed and all medals were awarded in both the summer and winter.
Now it’s time to celebrate that achievement, and the accomplishments of all athletes involved, with a global commemoration that includes singing, dancing, patriotism and the passing of the torch to the next host country.
The Olympics Closing Ceremony in Beijing will bring nations and athletes together for the official end of the two-week global competition.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 closing ceremony:
What time does the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony start?
With 109 medal events having been completed across 15 different sports, the closing ceremony for the 2022 Winter Games will be held at 7 a.m. ET on Feb. 20.
Team USA at the 2022 Closing Ceremony
American athletes will celebrate their accomplishments in Beijing. Here's what to know before they enter into the Bird's Nest Sunday.
Where will the Olympics closing ceremony take place?
The 2022 closing ceremony will be held at Beijing’s National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest.
How to watch the 2022 Olympics closing ceremony
The ceremony will air live on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app.
NBC will also air the Closing Ceremony on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. It will be preceded at 7 p.m. ET by a one-hour special highlighting the defining moments of the 2022 Winter Games.
What happens during the Olympics closing ceremony?
Traditionally, the ceremony includes a parade of flags representing all participating nations, starting with the founding country of Greece and ending with the host nation.
Medals from the last event of the Games are typically presented to the winners during the Closing Ceremony.
Remaining Olympians march in a parade of athletes, but unlike the Opening Ceremony, there is no order as the athletes walk en masse. The flagbearer for the United States will be four-time bobsled medalist Elana Meyers Taylor, who originally was named flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony but unable to participate after testing positive for COVID-19.
Team USA has already unveiled the patriotic garb that its athletes will wear during the 2022 Closing Ceremony, complete with blue and red plaid puffer jackets.
The Olympic flag is lowered and the flag of the next host country (Italy) is raised alongside the flag of the current host (China). As part of the customary ceremonial flag handover, the Olympic flag will be passed to the mayors of the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina-D’Ampezzo, hosts of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The Games are then declared closed during a speech by the International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach. That declaration is made official with the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
The Olympics typically come to an official end with a fireworks show befitting of a global event's grand finale.
The Summer and Winter Olympics will officially return to the traditional two-year cycle, starting with the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
