Last ‘grand stage’ of Paris Olympic tickets to go on sale next week

The next round of ticket sales for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris will go live on November 30, with tickets for almost every sport available.

There will be over 400,000 tickets on sale, with organisers promising 70,000 of these will cost just €24.

It is the last round of ticket sales organised by the 2024 team before the resale platform opens next April, and deputy CEO of Paris 2024 Michaël Aloïsio said “7.2 out of 10 million tickets” for the Olympics have already been sold.

This round of ticket sales will be held on a first-come first-served basis, as opposed to previous rounds, which used a lottery system to decide who had the earliest ticket slots – a decision criticised by some who saw it as unfair.

Tickets will be available to those with an account on the official website from 10:00 next Thursday.

The news comes as Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo announced Partis’ transport network “would not be ready” for the influx of visitors next summer.

Maximum of 30 tickets per person

Some rules for purchasers will remain the same – for example, each account will be able to purchase a maximum of 30 tickets.

Tickets for every discipline will be available, except for surfing, which is set to be held overseas in Tahiti.

Many of the tickets available will be for the swimming and equestrian competitions, but also those for track and field events, as well as team sports such as football.

There will also be spots available for the opening and closing ceremonies – the former to be held on the banks of the Seine – with the most expensive priced at almost €3,000.

Read also: Paris Seine booksellers say wrong to ban them during Olympic Games

Other tickets will be sold on resale platform

This is the last ‘grand stage’ of ticket sales, and any unsold tickets will be made available online before the Games start next July.

In April, a private resale platform will also open, allowing those who have tickets they do not want – or those with high demand – to be passed on.

Purchasers and officials alike complained about the first two stages of ticket sales, which used slots and lottery systems to randomly allocate who could purchase their tickets first.

In the first round of sales, tickets could only be purchased in ‘bundles’, leaving many having to buy tickets for competitions they had no interest in, in order to secure the tickets they were after.

Organisers said this would help cast a spotlight on some lesser-known events, but those wanting tickets for a specific event said it was unfair and caused them to pay extra.

Based on the data so far, it is likely that most events will sell out their entire allocations, and over 70% of tickets for all events have already been sold, which the organisers say they are “enormously satisfied” with.

Information for ticket sales for the Paralympics has not yet been released, however organisers say that the signs are positive.

“We are pleased with the way things have got off to a good start, but we need to personalise things more, because the French do not know the Paralympic athletes very well,” the organisers said.

“There was a fairly strong start, but there are still a lot of opportunities,” to buy Paralmypic tickets, said President of the Comité d’organisation des Jeux Tony Estanguet earlier this month.

Transport issues during the Games?

One potential dampener on the good news surrounding ticket sales is that those attempting to get to the events may find it difficult, if they are planning on taking a metro.

Asked if there were any concerns about the event, Parisian mayor Anne Hidalgo said that the increased number of visitors to the city would cause strain on public transport infrastructure.

“We're already having problems with everyday transport, and we're not managing to reach the expected level... of punctuality and comfort for Parisians,” she said to RMC.

“In fact, there are places where transport will not be ready; there will not be the number of trains and the frequency,” she added, as well as citing the RER E station at Porte Maillot – which will not be open in time for the Games – as an example.

You can see more of the interview, shared on social media, below.

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