The organizers announced that sports fans around the world can take their first steps towards securing tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics by entering this week’s drawing.
Those who want to enter the draw have it from Thursday until January 31 – with organizers hoping ticket sales will bring in 1.2 billion euros ($1.25 billion), roughly a third of the organizing committee’s (Cojo) budget.
“It’s not a sprint,” Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Taupois said when making the announcement at the Eiffel Tower.
Paris 2024 CEO Etienne Thobois (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Successful applicants will be allocated 48 hour time slots between February 13th and March 15th to purchase their tickets.
Aside from the opening ceremony and surfing – which takes place in Tahiti – they can choose three sessions of any sport, subject to availability, and apply for up to six tickets per session.
The cheapest package for three tickets will be 72 euros, and the most expensive will be 1,150 euros.
However, 20% of sessions involving the most demanding finals (100m in athletics and basketball) will not be available.
Then, the second stage of the ticketing process will have applicants entered into a drawing for individual tickets from March through May next year.
The winners of this draw will be able to apply for tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies.
The third and final phase of ticket sales will follow at the end of 2023.
“For the first time in the history of the Olympics, all tickets will be sold exclusively on one centralized and digital platform that will be open to all fans at the same time,” the organizers said in a statement.
Through this platform, approximately 10 million tickets will be put up for sale – 3 million of which will be in the first draw.
One million tickets will cost €24 ($25) and nearly half the price will be €50 or less.
“Half of the tickets will be 50 euros or less, it is very important for us that this is the case,” said Tony Estanget, president of the organizing committee for Paris 2024.
To that end, the organizers will be acquiring approximately 100,000 tickets to give people who would normally not be able to afford them a chance to attend the Games.
Those who buy tickets can also give their tickets as a gift.
