“It’s a real satisfaction, because it was a real gamble. » Tony Estanguet, the president of the organizing committee of the Paris 2024 Games, had a smile this Thursday morning to take stock of the first phase of ticket sales and mark out the rest of the operations just over 500 days before the meeting. you long awaited. “We are facing two major challenges, sums up the three-time Olympic canoe-kayak champion. On the one hand, we have to finance the Games (Editor’s note: ticketing represents a third of revenue) and on the other fill the stadiums, make it a very popular moment. It’s a balance to find between the two… and I know everyone has their own opinion. »
400,000 places at 24 euros have found takers
Initially scheduled until Wednesday March 15, the first phase of ticket sales (by packs) has already been stopped. In just over three weeks, and despite the many criticisms related to prices or the complexity of the composition of the packs, 3.25 million tickets (out of the 8 million dedicated to the general public) have been sold.
In detail, 69% of sales concerned places at 100 euros or less and 4.5% of sesames at 200 euros or more. Regarding the famous 24-euro tickets which were snapped up from the first connections on the online platform, 400,000 (i.e. 13% of sales) found takers (there will therefore remain around 300,000 to be filled until July 2024).
Two-thirds of buyers come from France. In total, 158 countries make up the mosaic of acquisitions, with a top 5 made up of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany and the Netherlands. To form their packs, fans favored football (a large contingent of places at affordable prices), athletics, rugby, basketball and volleyball.
Climbing and BMX, popular disciplines with very limited capacity, were sold out from the first day. Breakdance or 3×3 basketball have also been full. Note that all people registered for the draw have been assigned a purchase slot. It’s just the order of the draw that made a big difference…
Single sale starts May 11
Phase 2, that of the sale of single tickets, will open on May 11. Always according to the draw system. For those who have not already done so, it will therefore be necessary to register online between March 15 and April 20. All sessions will be available, including the most popular finals and the opening and closing ceremonies.
The most accessible finals will be those of urban sports at Concorde, with a fee schedule of 50 to 160 euros. The most expensive (three sessions of athletics and swimming and the basketball final) will require a financial effort of 125 to 980 euros. “Exceptional tickets for exceptional moments”, sums up the Cojo. Out of a total of 767 sessions, organizers categorized 16 as “high priced.”
The objective is to sell 1.5 million places during this phase. It should be filled very quickly and still generate a lot of frustrations or misunderstandings. “You have to be able to regulate more than a year from the Games, explains Tony Estanguet. At the end of May, beginning of June, it will still be necessary that there is still a significant volume of tickets to be able to sell. The remaining 3.25 million places will therefore be subject to one or more subsequent phases to maintain enthusiasm and availability until closer to the competition.
Regarding the opening ceremony, it will cost 90 to 2,700 euros to have the privilege of attending the official launch on the Seine of the first Summer Games in France for 100 years. A system of free tickets will be set up later for the high quays in order to manage population flows. For the fence at the Stade de France, it will take between 45 and 1,600 euros.
“That’s also the economic model, insists Estanguet. We can have certain places at very affordable prices because next to them there are very high prices which make it possible to balance the overall financing… “Each buyer will be limited to 30 tickets (packs and unit included), with a maximum of six per session (four for the ceremonies and 60 “high demand” sessions in eleven sports).
Finally, an official resale system will be put in place in the second quarter of 2024 and to allow tickets that are no longer of interest to be sold at face value and to satisfy those who could not have obtained them through the various draws. .
Patience until the fall for the Paralympics
The Paralympic competition will take place in the capital from August 28 to September 8, 2024. The ticket office will open in the fall of 2023 and there will be no need for a draw to discover boccia or goalball at Porte de Versailles. 500,000 places will have a price of 15 euros and different options (single ticket, day pass, etc.) will be offered.