Paris 2024 Olympics Post Record Sales Ahead of Event
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games kick-off in just two weeks, and ahead of opening day, the games announced a record-breaking number of sales.
Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet told AFP that 8.6 million tickets were sold for the Olympic Games and 1 million were sold for the Paralympics, marking a record previously held by the 1996 Atlanta Games at 8.3 million tickets. The games are set to take place from July 26 through August 11, and Paris organizers are predicting totals will rise to 10 million before the end of the month, as well as 3.4 million tickets sold for the Paralympics.
“The good news is that in this final stretch we are making available a number of tickets for a lot of sports,” Estanguet said, noting that “there are lots of really good options at different prices both for the Olympics, Paralympics, and opening and closing ceremonies.”
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This follows news of struggling sales over the past six months; originally, the committee received harsh criticism for high ticket prices. Many have spoken-out, including Sebastian Coe, the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and former head of the London 2012 organizing committee. He criticized the Paris 2024 bosses for the cost of tickets for next year’s event, noting that fans and the families of athletes will be priced-out.
Estanguet refuted those claims, pointing to the fact that London’s games took place 12 years ago, and with inflation, prices are “within the norm for such an exceptional experience.”
The Games will take place overlooking the waters of the Seine, and 10,000 athletes will travel to the foot of the Eiffel Tower to kick things off on July 26.
