The organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have announced that anyone in the world will be able to apply for tickets from Thursday 1 December in a new approach to ticketing for the showpiece event. In a significant change, tickets will be obtainable from a single platform worldwide and will not be available through ticket resellers.
Instead of entering a ballot for tickets for specific sessions or events, those who want to experience the games enter one global draw. Those selected will then be able to have their pick of what they want to see within a specific sales window. “We really wish to make Paris 2024 the first ‘Games Wide Open’, and we are fully dedicated to bringing this concept to life,” said Tony Estanguet, president of Paris 2024.
Three million tickets will be available in this phase of sales, representing about 80% of the tickets sold to the public, and applications are open until 31 January 2023. Half of the tickets will cost €50 (£43) or less, while prices for a three-session package start at €72 (£62). Two types of tickets for people with disabilities will be included – wheelchair access places, and accessible places for people with disabilities or reduced mobility who do not use a wheelchair, but who need an accessible seat with minimal steps close to accessible facilities.
However, organisers say that tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as “for some specific sports sessions”, will not be available during this sales phase, and will go on sale in May 2023. “These tickets will be for the opening and closing ceremonies and the premium sessions, such as the 100 metres finals in athletics and swimming, or the basketball final, for example,” Michael Aloisio, chief of staff to Estanguet, said.
From 15 February 2023, fans who have been selected by the draw will receive an email with a specific time slot giving them access to what the organisers call “Make Your Games packs” sales for 48 hours. The “Make Your Games packs” allow a visitor to select up to three sessions that they want to attend, and purchase the tickets directly. The first four days of sales will be reserved for members of the Club Paris 2024, which is free to sign up to. People will be able to buy a maximum of 30 tickets across all of the sales phases.
Ticketing has been an issue at many recent Olympic games, with no shows often leading to empty stands in early morning sessions, despite claims the event is sold out. The London Olympics were marred as visitors sometimes had to queue up to six hours to collect tickets from the agencies handling the sales. Paris 2024 will be the first summer Olympics to welcome overseas visitors since Rio in 2016, after the pandemic-impacted Tokyo Games held in 2021 restricted sales to domestic fans.
The Paris ticketing arrangements apply to the Olympic Games, which run from Friday 26 July to Sunday 11 August in 2024. Organisers say that with nearly 10m tickets available in total, this marks the largest number of tickets ever on sale for a sporting event. Sales arrangements for the Paralympics will be announced in autumn 2023.
