When the sun shines and the hordes roll in, Paris comes into her own, wooing visitors with mega-museums, sweeping avenues and sprawling gardens, before giving them the intimate treatment in tiny bistros and cosy Seine-side galleries — which is great news for the Olympics, when millions of visitors will cram the capital. You’ll want the thrill of the crowds, but you’ll also want to escape them; and Paris will let you do both.
The Games will be taking place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, followed by the Paralympics, from August 28 to September 8. Tickets for the opening ceremony have just gone on sale, starting from €2,700 per person.
The upcoming games mark the centenary of the Paris 1924 Olympics, the last time the city held the Games and the year it invented an enduring fixture — the Olympic Village.
This time, as well as introducing new disciplines like breakdancing, skateboarding, climbing and surfing, the city hopes to showcase the world’s first electric air taxi, the Volocopter eVTOL (a vertical take-off and landing aircraft), between Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget airports and central Paris.
The Games will take place in over 30 settings in and around the city, including temporary, open-air arenas by iconic monuments, time-honoured stadiums such as Roland Garros and purpose-built centres in the suburbs such as the Centre Aquatique Olympique, an ultra-modern swimming venue in Saint-Denis connected by a footbridge to the Stade de France opposite.
A few competitions (notably football, basketball, handball and sailing) will take place in other French cities, including Lille, Marseilles, Nice and Bordeaux. Only surfing fans will have to go further afield — to Teahupo’o in Tahiti.
The first phase of ticket sales began in February, and some events have already sold out. But it’s not too late to enter the draw for the second phase. Follow this guide for the latest on ticketing, packages and where to stay.
Main photo: the Olympic symbol in the Place du Trocadéro (Alamy)
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The venues
Stade de France: rugby
In the northern suburb of Saint-Denis, this 80,000-seater behemoth is France’s biggest stadium. Built in 1998 for the Fifa World Cup, it has hosted other major sports events including the 2003 Athletics World Championships and Uefa Euro 2016, and concerts by stars such as Beyoncé.
It will be the venue for the final of the 2023 Rugby World Cup and rugby will kick off the Olympics here too (starting two days before the official opening), with the rugby sevens men’s and women’s tournaments (July 24 to 30). After that, it’s over to the athletics (August 2 to 11) and the para athletics (August 30 to September 7), followed by the para marathon on September 8.
Where to stay A room in Saint-Denis would be practical (it’s where the Olympic Village will be), but it’s not the best-looking area. Plus, Saint-Denis is so well-connected to Paris (by RER train lines B and D, and Métro lines 12 and 13), it would be a shame not to go somewhere prettier — like the Gare du Nord district, with its Haussmann charm, Eurostar terminal and a direct line to the stadium. Try the hip 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord opposite the station. It’s got vintage-chic rooms and a cool Mediterranean restaurant and cocktail bar.
Eiffel Tower Stadium: beach volleyball and blind football
This will be one of the Olympics’ most photogenic sports courts — a temporary, open-air, 12,800-seater stadium on the Champs de Mars, with the Eiffel Tower as its striking backdrop. The vast, tree-lined park is no stranger to big crowds — it’s here that the Bastille Day firework displays are held and where football fans often watch World Cup matches on giant screens. For the Olympics, beach volleyball will take centre stage (July 27 to August 10), followed by blind football during the Paralympics (August 30 to September 7).
Where to stay You’ll find Canopy by Hilton Paris Trocadéro in a handy spot by the Trocadéro Métro station (direct to the venue on line 6), and just a 15-minute walk away. Rooms have a Seventies’ chic vibe, and some have balconies, with views of the Eiffel Tower. There’s also a rooftop bar.
Roland Garros Stadium: tennis and boxing
West of the city by the leafy Bois de Boulogne, the mere sight of this venerable stadium’s red clay courts is enough to fill most tennis fans with joy. All the greats have competed here, from Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert to Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams, and it’s still the home of the French Open. The Games’ tennis competitions will take place here from July 27 to August 4, with wheelchair tennis from August 30 to September 7, and so too will the boxing finals (August 6 to 10).
Where to stay Hôtel Molitor Paris, just across the street, was once a renowned art deco swimming complex (the bikini was born here in 1946). Today it’s a modish, artsy hotel with a hip brasserie, a Clarins spa and big indoor and outdoor pools that whisk you back to the 1930s.
Château de Versailles: cross-country riding and modern pentathlon
Southwest of the city, this must be the Games’ most grandiose setting — a temporary arena amid the sprawling, geometric lawns of the Sun King’s former palace. To one side, the vainglorious château; to the other, the emerald stretch of Le Nôtre’s sumptuous grounds; in the middle, a rather pretty space for eventing, dressage and jumping (July 27 to August 6). The grounds will also be used for cross-country riding (July 28) and the modern pentathlon (August 8 to 11).
Where to stay Versailles is a 40-minute train or RER ride from central Paris, so it makes sense to stay overnight. If you do, you’ll be hard-pushed to get closer to the palace than at the Louis Versailles Château (on the site of Napoleon III’s former military barracks), complete with sauna and cocktail bar.
Grand Palais: fencing and taekwondo
This whopping, glass-roofed masterpiece (built for the 1900 Paris Exposition) is set between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, and flaunts a 240m-long nave made with 6,000 tonnes of steel — more than the Eiffel Tower. It’s known for art exhibitions, but sports events are held here too, including the international Saut Hermès showjumping competition. Closed for renovations, the palace will reopen for the Games to host fencing (July 27 to August 4) and taekwondo (August 7 to 10), followed by para taekwondo (August 29 to 31) and wheelchair fencing (September 3 to 7).
Where to stay The Grand Palais is very central (on Métro lines 1 and 13), so you don’t have to limit yourself to the area, which is known for its high prices. Métro hop to La Fantaisie in the villagey 9th arrondissement, with artsy rooms, a big (for Paris) garden and a chic rooftop. It’s also by Galeries Lafayette and Printemps departments stores, for some pre or post-Games retail therapy.
Paris La Défense Arena: swimming and water polo
Compared to the rest of Paris, the high-rise business district of La Défense looks space-age and the aesthetic continues at this white, concrete, Christian de Portzamparc-designed stadium, shaped like a futuristic whale (its outer envelope of glass and aluminium screens resemble rows of giant teeth). The Rolling Stones baptised it in 2017, and it’s home to the Racing 92 rugby union club, so both music and rugby get good coverage. For the Olympics, it’ll morph into a vast pool complex for swimming (July 27 to August 4) and water polo (August 5 to 11), then para swimming (August 29 to September 7).
Where to stay Just two Métro stops away is Mama Shelter Paris La Défense, an ideal option with bright funky rooms (many of which have sweeping city views), a steakhouse and an American-style sports bar with TV screens for catching up on events.
Bercy Arena: basketball and gymnastics
This gigantic, grass-covered pyramid in the 12th arrondissement is a multi-sports venue opened in 1984 and used for all sorts of events, from basketball and handball to tennis and motocross. Big-name music stars frequently grace its mega-stage too, making it one of Paris’ most popular entertainment venues. For the Olympics, up to 15,000 spectators will cram the seats to see basketball (July 27 to August 10) and gymnastics (July 27 to August 5), followed by wheelchair basketball during the Paralympics (August 29 to September 8).
Where to stay Inside the block-shaped “head” of one of architect Jean Nouvel’s ultramodern glass-fronted twin towers (just across the Seine from Bercy, in the 13th arrondissement), rooms at the new Too Hotel Paris come with endless vistas over the city’s steely rooftops — as does its Skybar, set a lofty 120m (400ft) off the ground, with an outdoor terrace.
Parc des Princes: football
Known for its brutal concrete structure and excellent acoustics, the 48,000-seater home of the Paris Saint-Germain football club used to be France’s biggest stadium until the Stade de France came along. But it’s still impressive. During the Games, it will host men’s and women’s football matches every few days, from kick-off on July 24 to the finals on August 9 (men) and 10 (women).
Where to stay Set by the Périphérique (the Paris ring road), the stadium is not in the best area for hotels, but the Ibis Styles 16 Boulogne (just a seven-minute walk away) has bright, functional rooms and is a stone’s throw from Porte de Saint-Cloud Métro station, which takes you to the centre (including the Champs Élysées) on line 9 in under 15 minutes.
How can I get tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Tickets are only available through the official Paris 2024 website via a draw (tickets.paris2024.org). Registration for the second draw (offering access to a single sport) closed on April 20 at 6pm CET. If you were successful, you should have received an email, from May 9 onwards, stating your purchase time-slot.
If your name wasn’t drawn or you missed the deadline, don’t despair. Any remaining tickets will go on resale at the end of 2023, so you’ll have one last chance.
What are the best tour packages and when should I book?
For the first time ever, all packages are being sold via a single platform called On Location (hospitalitytravelpackages.paris2024.org). There are two types to choose between — Hospitality Packages and Travel Packages — and you should book them now. There’s no time limit, but once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Hospitality Packages will guarantee seating and priority access to your choice of events. They will also provide access to special lounges, including Clubhouse 24, a multidisciplinary hub (in the Palais de Tokyo in the 16th arrondissement) offering food, drink and entertainment, including concerts and meet-and-greet sessions with athletes. Three levels of package are offered — Gold, Silver and Bronze — with the main difference being ticket category, type of food, drink and service, and access to entertainment.
Travel packages are available for either one to three nights or three to six. Both include tickets (including bundle possibilities), hotel accommodation and transport. The three to six-night packages add (among others) extras like tailor-made themed tours (think food and wine, history and culture and family activities), as well as city passes to attractions, and access to the Salon 24, a hospitality space with food, drink and interactive activities in the 18th-century Maison de l’Amérique Latine.
How can I enjoy Paris if I haven’t got a ticket?
For a handful of the outdoor events, such as the marathon, rowing, open water swimming and even the opening ceremony, parts of the route will be visible to non-ticket holders along the streets, bridges and riverbanks — though you might have to sharpen your elbows and crane your neck to get a glimpse.
It’ll be business as usual for the museums and attractions during the Games and the city has pledged to maintain most of its summer events — which include some world-class music festivals (though the dates have yet to be released) — so there will be plenty to do.
