The process of sale of tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will begin on December 1, with a total of 10 million tickets on sale. Focus of the sale is to ensure that the Olympic Games remain accessible to all, says Tony Estanguet, President of the Organising Committee.

The Organising Committee of Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Paralympics has finalised the process for the sale of tickets for both the Games and the access to ticket sales will begin on December 1.

At a crowded Press Conference held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, President of Organising Committee Tony Estanguet said that for the first time in Olympics history, the ticket sales will be entirely digital and centralised around a single platform for sales, https://tickets.paris2024.org.

Estanguet said that that those interested in joining the lottery system for the ticket sales can register on the tickets platform, which will be open from December 1 to January 31 for registrations. Through this platform, nearly 10 million tickets will be available for the Olympic Games, with one million of these priced at just EUR 24 and almost half priced at EUR 50 or less for the general public.

The ticket sales cover all the 32 disciplines on the Olympic Games programme that are for sale, with the exception of surfing which will not be sold. Those successful in the first draw for the ticket sales will be allocated 48-hour timeslots from February 15-March 15, 2023 to purchase their tickets. The use of a draw to allocate purchasing timeslots is a new feature for the Games that ensures a friendlier user experience for those selected, says Etienne Thobois, Chief Executive Officer of the Organising Committee.

For the first phase of ticket sales, fans will be able to purchase “Make Your Games” packs of tickets to curate their own ideal Olympic experience. Each “Make Your Games” pack of tickets, includes three sessions assembled according to the purchaser’s preferences. To create a pack an individual will be able to choose three sessions from all the sports on the programme, subject to availability and choice. The buyer can then select up to six tickets for each session and packs are designed to be flexible to suit the purchasers’ needs, whether they are attending on their own, with friends or as a family, say the organisers.

Those selected at this time can buy Games packs for a maximum of 30 tickets per person. After the end of the first window for sale, another draw would be conducted from March to May and the finally the remaining tickets would be put on sale in single ticket format from May 2023. The sale of tickets for the Paralympics would be opened in autumn 2023 and a total of 3 million tickets would be offered for sale.

In order to enhance the reach, the tickets would be available only in digital format and can be sold or resold only through the centralised platform, the organisers say.

Inclusivity and accessibility

Estanguet emphasised the importance of inclusivity and accessibilty of the Games for all and said that with that objective in mind, half the tickets are being offered for prices under EUR 50 and one million for EUR 24 a piece.

‘‘By allocating such a large component we want to ensure that every section of the society can come forward and be a part of the Games. In fact, we have also set aside 100,000 tickets that will be given free to the weaker sections of the society,’’ Estanguet said.

‘‘Another unique feature of these Olympics is that we have added the possibility of donations help the underprivileged sections of the society to get the tickets,’’ he added.

‘‘The information about how to donate money for others to buy the tickets will be not only put on the platform so that when the fans buy the tickets they can donate at the same time. In addition, we will also popularise this initiative through a promotional campaign that will be launched for this purpose,’’ Estanguet said in response to a question by India Outbound.

While the ticket prices of the Games are lower than the tickets for Euro 2016, they are comparable to the prices of tickets for London and other Olympic Games, Estanguet added in response to India Outbound.

Countering blackmarketing and fraud in ticket sales

Acknowledging that black-market in ticket sales of key sporting events around the world had emerged as an issue, the Olympic Committee has also taken several steps to counter black-marketing of the tickets, Thobois said. ‘‘While one person can buy up to 30 tickets, but we have taken precautions to prevent this from being misused in terms of resale or black-marketing. First is that each ticket is digital and can only be issued by the centralised platform. Secondly, the tickets are nominative and hence each buyer has to send in the name of the person holding the ticket to the ticketing platform. Moreover, we are allowing tickets to be purchased in lots of six at a time and hence trying to minimise the possibility of misuse,’’ Thobois said in response to India Outbound.

Games at landmark Parisian icons

The venues of the Games read like a tourist guidebook, with almost all key landmarks either serving as venues or ideal for watching the Games. For instance, the archery competition will be held at Invalides, the Mausoleum of several important French leaders and very close to Eiffel Tower, judo competitions would be held at Grand Palais, one of the top venues for exclusive events and exhibitions in Paris. In additions, some of the water sports would be held in the Seine River.

“We are so looking forward to the prospect of Paris sharing its iconic locations and venues with fans, in order for them to feel the emotion and magical atmosphere that full stadiums will provide. It is not just the athletes who are getting ready for the Games, it’s the spectators too, and their journey starts now!”