The 2024 Paris Olympics are gearing up to showcase sports against the stunning backdrop of Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Château de Versailles. While organizers aim for inclusivity with affordable €24 tickets, there’s controversy over how accessible these tickets really are, especially for popular events like finals in Athletics, Swimming, and Basketball, which can cost up to €980. Critics argue that while some events offer cheap tickets, the high prices for others overshadow these deals. Despite this, the committee claims one million tickets are available at a lower price, aiming to balance accessibility with the prestige of the games.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are expected to be an unforgettable event, set against the backdrop of the city’s prominent sites. Whether it’s the equestrian events held in the gardens of Château de Versailles, the beach volleyball stadium set up at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, or the newly added urban sports (3×3 basketball, BMX, breaking, and skateboarding) hosted at a temporary venue on Place de la Concorde, live spectators will be able to enjoy the beauty of Paris in full bloom. That is if they were fortunate enough to obtain and/or afford the tickets.
While the Paris Olympics organizers aimed to make them the “People’s Games,” the availability of low-cost tickets has been a source of contention in the run-up to the event. While cheap €24 tickets were available for every sport, they were often limited to the early rounds of competition, and supporters had to pay much more to get anywhere near a medal presentation at most events.
As Statista’s Felix Richter illustrates in the table below, there is a significant disparity in Olympic ticket pricing, with the most costly seats for the finals in Athletics, Swimming, and Basketball priced at €980, more than 40 times the price of the cheapest tickets available for each event.
On the other end of the spectrum, some events top out at €24, which generally relates to outdoor events that may be observed for free along public highways, along the Seine, or – if you happen to be in Tahiti – at the famed Teahupo’o wave.
While the exorbitant pricing of some events has sparked criticism, it’s crucial to remember that these expensive tickets enable the very low starting price of tickets.
According to the organizing committee, one million tickets were priced at €24, with over half of the remaining 10 million tickets priced at €50 or less.
Recently, GreatGameIndia reported that due to the upcoming Olympics in 2024, Paris will be off-limits without a QR code this summer, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
