How to Watch the Olympics Closing Ceremony & What to Expect

The 2020 Olympic Games will close on Sunday, August 8.

After two weeks of Olympic excitement, the Tokyo Games are finally drawing to a close. And while we've still got a few event finals before the last gold is handed out, we're mentally preparing for the end. The good news: We get to celebrate this historic moment with an epic Closing Ceremony.

Here's how to watch and what to expect.

When is the closing ceremony?

The 2020 Olympic Games will draw to a close on Sunday, August 8, in Tokyo, Japan and will conclude with a celebratory Closing Ceremony. The event will kick off at 7 am EST.

How to watch the Closing Ceremony

You can catch the Closing Ceremony a few different ways, on Peacock, USA, and NBC.

Here is the full Closing Ceremony schedule:

  • Live Closing Ceremony coverage: 7 am EST on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Sports App.
  • Tokyo Gold: 8 pm EST on NBC
  • Primetime Closing Ceremony: 8 pm EST on NBC

What to expect

Like the Opening Ceremony, details are often limited ahead of time. We do know this, though: the theme will be "Worlds We Share," according to a press release. It's

intended to inspire athletes and viewers alike to "think about what the future holds." Much like the entirety of the Games, the Closing Ceremony will not include spectators and won't include major athletes—many have already traveled home, including notable names like Simone Biles, as a result of COVID-19 protocol.

The US Olympians that will be in attendance are set to sport Ralph Lauren-designed white jackets with blue collars and hoods, according to USA Today. Team USA's Kara Winger, a four-time Olympian, has been chosen to carry the United States flag at the event, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Friday.

“It’s an incredible honor to be selected by my fellow Team USA athletes to be our flag bearer,” Winger said in a statement. “There’s no better way to conclude my career as an Olympic athlete than to lead the U.S. team into the Closing Ceremony. On behalf of Team USA, we want to thank the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the people of Tokyo and the country of Japan for hosting these Olympic Games and bringing the world back together again through sport.”

Rebeca Andrade has already been selected to carry her flag for Brazil while Italy's Marcell Jacobs will carry his nation's, the outlet reports.

The ceremony will end with Japan handing off the Olympic flag to France in honor of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Check back during the games for all of Thrillist’s continuing Olympics coverage. Think of us like an all-knowing friend watching along with you to answer all the most important questions, like how heavy Olympic medals are, or why this year’s games are still called the 2020 Olympics. We'll explain everything from what ROC means to why athletes are sleeping on cardboard beds, and much, much more.

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Megan Schaltegger is a staff writer at Thrillist.