Those who tuned into the Olympic closing ceremony may have noticed several peculiar aspects.
Last night (August 11) marked the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and the Olympic torch was ceremoniously handed over to Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Games.
During the event, Hollywood icon Tom Cruise descended from the Eiffel Tower in a spectacular skydiving stunt reminiscent of his Mission Impossible films, followed by scenes filmed in Los Angeles.
Performances by Billie Eilish, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Red Hot Chili Peppers were featured, appearing as live performances. However, it has been reported that these segments were actually recorded the day before.
Although the set with palm trees seemed to be located at Venice Beach, the performances were actually filmed at Long Beach.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a section of Long Beach was “wrapped in a privacy tent” on Saturday morning because “word had gotten out that they were filming part of the Olympics closing ceremony.”
This has led some to question why the event was private, rather than allowing a large audience to enjoy performances by top music stars.
One Twitter user wrote: “Really liked it, BUT why did #la28 have a private event?? They could’ve easily had 10s of thousands show up for something like this and truly welcome Olympics in grand style. On tv the crowd looked small and lame. Like La doesn’t care…”
Another commented on a clip of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ performance, asking: “Why are there only like 200 people in the crowd?”
On TikTok, a nearby resident posted a clip of the filming process.
Her video was captioned: “Would’ve been a lot cooler if they allowed Snoop Dogg’s real fans to pull up for this staged Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony commercial but as they say in Paris, ‘c’est la vie’.”
She further alleged that everyone in the audience was “paid actors”.
https://www.tiktok.com/@username/video/7401914338488978718
The TikToker also pointed out that the group playing volleyball just a few feet away from the stage were likely paid actors as well.
One person questioned: “Are the volleyball players actors? That doesn’t seem realistic to have a few people playing beach volleyball feet away from a concert performance.”
“Love the dudes just playing volleyball like nothing to see here just another day in LA,” another person observed.
LA 2028 has been contacted for a response to the criticism.