A new controversy in prospect? Not excluded. After a first phase shaken by a wave of discontent, the Paris 2024 OCOG is launching the second episode of the ticketing soap opera this Thursday 11 May. It promises to be less complex, but not necessarily more consensual.
This time, tickets will no longer be offered in packs of three, a formula that had annoyed and disappointed many, but by the unit. Simpler. More accessible, too. Above all, the public will finally be able to shop for tickets for all the Olympic Games sessions, including the ceremonies. In the initial phase, the OCOG did not showcase the most coveted events, including some of the swimming, athletics and team sports finals.
For the rest, the process did not change. The second phase of ticket sales was also preceded by a draw. The OCOG explains that between 15 March and 20 April, 4 million people registered. A good sign. However, it is important to note that those who registered for the first round and did not reach their quota of 30 tickets, or who did not buy any, were automatically entered into the second draw, without necessarily having made the effort.
As in the first phase, the applicants selected at random have a 48-hour window to make their purchases. They are notified by e-mail two days before they enter the virtual shop.
A total of 1.5 million tickets are available to the public, both in France and abroad. It is possible to buy up to six tickets per session, except for the most popular ones where the limit is set at four, but without exceeding the quota of 30 tickets for the duration of the Olympic Games.
Prices? On paper, the price list is supposed to suit all budgets. The famous 24-euro tickets, an attractive product but the object of all the tensions, will once again be offered for sale. But they should not represent more than one in ten seats. During the first ticketing phase, they accounted for almost 13% of purchases.
The rest is much more expensive. For the opening ceremony, on Friday 26 July on the Seine, it will cost between 90 and 2,700 euros. For the closing ceremony, which is more conventional since it will be held at the Stade de France, the price range is from 45 to 1,600 euros.
In judo, for the day dedicated to the heavyweights – the category of Frenchman Teddy Riner – the 24-euro sesame does not exist. The price of tickets ranges from 100 to 380 euros. In athletics, for the evening session on 4 August, dominated by the men’s 100m final, admission to the Stade de France ranges from €125 for the seats furthest from the action to €980 along the sprint straight. The price of the exceptional, suggests the Paris 2024 OCOG.
Tony Estanguet has already warned: this second phase of ticketing will not only make people happy. Shaken by the controversy over the sale of packs, the President of the OCOG anticipates “disappointments and frustrations“. But he assumes: “It’s inevitable, but we have to take our chances. This second phase of sales is going to be exceptional, offering the most exceptional moments of these Olympic Games with the greatest finals in all sports.”
In the opinion of the organising committee, the initial phase was a success, with 3.25 million tickets sold. With a target of €1.4 billion in ticketing revenue out of a budget of €4.4 billion, the OCOG has no option but to keep up the momentum.
A final sales phase is announced for the end of 2023. It will continue in 2024, until stocks are exhausted. This time, there will be no more lottery, but a return to the classic “first come, first served” principle.
