Tickets open for Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Here is how it works

Three million tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are now available, with everyone who won in the ballot now able to purchase at least three passes.

The sale opened today (February 15), two weeks after sign-ups for the ballot closed. Of those who signed up, three million people have been randomly selected. Each will now have a chance to buy a pack of at least three tickets.

All of the details, and ticket purchases, are available exclusively through the official website, https://tickets.paris2024.org/.

The countdown to the Games is now on, with less than a year and a half (17 months) now to go. They are set to take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

Anyone who signed up to the ballot is in with a chance, with the lucky winners set to be notified by the email used when signing up.

How many tickets are on sale?

In total, 10 million tickets will be available for the Games overall. In this first phase, however, three million will be available. The first phase is set to last from today until March 15.

Until March 15, it is only possible to buy ‘packs on demand’. The lucky ballot winners have 48 hours to put together their ‘pack’ of tickets. Buyers can select at least three sports from 32 available disciplines (depending on availability).

Of the sports taking place, 80% of the sessions have tickets on sale, except the surfing in Tahiti, which will not have any spectators.

Read also: Paris 2024: Marseille the first city to welcome the Olympic Flame

How many tickets per account can you (potentially) buy?

Each lucky ballot winner can assemble their own ‘pack’ of tickets, with at least three tickets minimum and a maximum of six per buying session. There is also a maximum of 30 tickets per account over the whole event.

The packs are 100% digital, and attached to the buyer’s name. However, you can still change the main name on the account if you wish.

How many potential buyers are there?

Three million people signed up for this stage of the buying phase, but only those lucky enough to have won in the ballot can now proceed to purchasing.

In a statement, Paris 2024 said: “We can’t yet know how many people will be able to benefit from this first phase, as that depends on the behaviour of the first buyers.”

How much will tickets cost?

The cost of tickets depends on how many seats there are and the popularity of the event.

One million tickets will be available at €24 each, equating to 10% of the total tickets on offer. There will also be 500,000 tickets at €15 for the Paralympics, out of a total 3.4 million. Half of the tickets for the Olympics will cost €50, and €25 for the Paralympics.

All events will have some tickets available at €24, but many of the seats will not be available to the public as they will be reserved for sporting associations or charitable groups (such as youth sport clubs, disabled sporting charities etc).

There will also be 100,000 tickets “financed” by the Games organising committee, in partnership with le Secours Populaire, aimed at less well-off purchasers. This system will mean that each Games buyer will be given the option to give two extra euros to “pay it forward”, and buy tickets for less well-off families and their transport to the events.

Some tickets will be in very high demand, however, and prices are set to soar accordingly. Tickets for basketball could hit €160, artistic gymnastics could be as much as €260, while the athletics final at the Stade de France could reach €690 each.

The most in-demand tickets (such as the basketball final, 100m run, and swimming) could soar to as much as €990 each. And Opening Ceremony tickets will cost as much as €3,000 for individuals.

Organisers have defended the prices, saying that the more expensive tickets help to fund the cheaper seats.

I didn’t win on the ballot. Can I get a ticket?

This first purchasing phase will last until March 15, so if you have not yet won on the ballot, you may yet still win, and be notified that you have a 48-hour window in which to make your purchases.

However, even if you do not win before March 15, you will still have a chance to purchase individual tickets, from those that remain, from May 11.

A third phase of ticket purchases will open in the autumn, without any kind of ballot in place. The tickets will also include seats at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the sporting events.

A final phase of ticket sales will take place at the end of 2023, for any seats still remaining.

Games controversy

Unsurprisingly, as well as some debate over the fairness of high ticket prices, the Games have not been without controversy this week.

The question of whether to allow Russian and Belorussian athletes to attend and compete is also attracting increased debate, in the context of the invasion of Ukraine.

It has been suggested that these athletes could compete under a “neutral” banner. Ukraine has reacted angrily to the idea that the athletes could be based in Lausanne (Switzerland) as part of this neutrality agreement.

Critics have also said that Russian and Belorussian athletes should not be able to compete because their respective presidents, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Loukachenko, typically use any success of their contenders as propaganda to further entrench their power.

However, the Olympic committee has so far said: “No athlete should be banned from competition based solely on their passport.”

The executive committee is set to discuss the question today (February 15).

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