The 2024 Olympic Games open on Friday, July 26, with a ceremony lasting nearly four hours along the Seine. But the public will be able to gather in several locations during the fortnight.
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” Paris is a party ” wrote the American writer Ernest Hemingway. In the capital and its suburbs, gathering places are organized for the benefit of the many tourists (1.5 million people expected) and residents, with, among other things, broadcasts of the events, sports initiations, cultural events, and even concerts.
The France Club at the Parc de la Villette
Until September 8, the forecourt of Paris City Hall in the heart of the capital will be one of the festivities. Until midnight on competition days (22:00 UT), access to La Terrasse des Jeux will be free.
Another place, another atmosphere. A fan zone called the Africa Station is entirely dedicated to African sports and cultures. Located on Île-Saint-Denis, it will be enlivened by musical performances and visitors will be able to meet medal-winning African athletes.
To the north of the capital, the Parc de la Villette will be during the Olympic Games and the Paris 2024 Paralympics, an unmissable venue. In the 19th arrondissement of Paris, this large space is being transformed into the “Parc des Nations”, where several National Olympic Committees, such as Canada, Brazil and Mexico, will take up residence to celebrate their athletes.
The Club France will open its doors on Saturday, July 27, and the main attraction of the venue will be the meeting between the French medalists and the 25,000 people who will be able to go there simultaneously by paying five euros. The venue will remain in place for the Paralympic Games, but in a smaller format, and access will be free.
The party in Seine-Saint-Denis
With the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, the Parc des Champions, also known as the “temple of performance”, is located at the Trocadéro. It will be able to accommodate up to 13,000 people per day, free of charge and without reservation. Spectators will be able to watch the broadcast of the grand finals and also see the medal winners. The Parc des Champions will be open to the public from Monday, July 29 to Saturday, August 10 and will be closed on July 30, August 2, 3 and 4.
To celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Games, there will also be the departmental park of La Courneuve, now called Georges-Valbon Park. The third largest green space in Île-de-France, it will above all be the largest celebration site in the Seine-Saint-Denis department. Eight of its 400 hectares have been specially developed for the event. The public will be able to enjoy 70 free sports and cultural activities, eight exceptional evenings with concerts and a giant screen to watch the events until August 11.
Read alsoSchedule, results and medal tables for the 2024 Paris Olympics