More than a week into the 2024 Paris Olympics, there are still tickets available for the general public to purchase for the big events, including the men’s and women’s showcase 100m finals.
Organizers said 8 million of the 10 million tickets available for general sale, the most ever, but not all of the track and field tickets have been sold yet.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Olympic website still shows availability for Friday night’s men’s 10,000m final, with the first round of the women’s 800m also taking place at the Stade de France. The cheapest tickets left start at €195 ($210; £165), as the €85 ($92; £72) price range is sold out.
Tickets are on the pricey side at €690 ($744; £582), but you can still get in on Saturday night’s athletics action, which includes the women’s 100m semifinals and final and the mixed 4x400m relay final.
One of the Games’ showcase events, the men’s 100m final, is likely to feature USA star Noah Lyles, and tickets are still on general sale, priced at €525 ($566; £443). The cheapest option is the currently sold-out Category D ticket, priced at €125 ($135; £105).
Some events, including freestyle BMX, sold out on the first day (Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images)
Tickets for the first round of the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays on August 8 cost €170 ($183, £143), with the cheapest tickets available before they sold out costing €24 ($26, £20).
World Athletics president Sebastian Coet, who chaired the London 2012 Olympic Organizing Committee, has previously raised concerns about ticket prices in Paris.
“These will be the most expensive stadium tickets we have ever seen at an Olympics,” Coe said in December. “We don’t want fans, athletes and their families to be turned away from the stadiums.”
Tony Estangué, president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, defended the price in response to Coe’s comments.
“If you look at what’s happened with previous events in London or Tokyo, the price range is pretty similar,” Estange said.
“In London the lowest price was £20, which would be around €27 if you adjust for inflation, and the highest price was £725, which would be just over €1,000 today if you adjust for inflation. So these prices are slightly higher than what Paris 2024 will charge.”
The 2024 organizing committee said prices would be the same as the 2012 Olympics, adjusted for inflation (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Aside from athletics, there are plenty of other events where tickets cost €15 (£13, $16), including the men’s soccer quarter-final between Spain and Japan on Friday night.
Meanwhile, only hospitality tickets are being sold for the men’s basketball final, which could feature a U.S. team that includes stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry.
The ticket costs €6,500 ($7,000, £5,500) and includes a hospitality package at the Eiffel Tower.
Of the 10 million tickets for the Paris Olympics, 2 million have been reserved for hotels and stakeholders.
General sale tickets, which must be purchased through the official Olympic website, were sold in several stages, initially through a lottery system whereby winners were required to purchase tickets for at least three different sports.
There are several Olympic events that are free to watch (Alex Broadway/Getty Images)
Events like climbing and BMX freestyle sold out on the first day, while events like track cycling, fencing and judo sold out within days.
Of course, there is another option. If you don’t want to sit in the specially-built stands for a particular event (like the men’s marathon, women’s marathon, or the road bike race this weekend), you can line up on the street for free.
(Header photo: Olivier Chassignole/AFP via Getty Images)
