Bis repeated. As in the first phase of ticket sales to attend the Olympic Games events in mid-February, the second phase, launched on Thursday May 11, saw tickets sell out very quickly.
“Over a Million Tickets”, sof the 1.5 million put up for sale, “has already been sold during this second phase devoted to the sale of single tickets and for which four million people have registered for the draw”communicated, Saturday, Paris 2024, the Organizing Committee of the Games.
At the end of the first two days of marketing, “twenty sports” were already no longer accessible, including urban sports (breaking, BMX Freestyle, BMX Racing, Skateboarding, Climbing), or the various disciplines of cycling and equestrian sports, fencing…
As during the first place, but in an even stronger way since there are fewer places on sale during this second phase (3.25 million were sold during the first), this non-accessibility has given rise, since two days, strong reactions and criticism on social networks.
This second phase of sales will not be the last, however. A third will be open by the end of 2023 and until 2024. It will take place “Along the water, according to the principle of “first come first served” “, according to the organizing committee of the Games. After the summer, there should be more than three million tickets left for the general public.
In addition, an official platform will open in the spring of 2024 to allow buyers who wish to resell their seats, “at the face value of the tickets”assure the organizers, who recall that the auctions will not be authorized.
“Places at 50 euros and less still available”
As during the first sequence of sales also, the prices of the places continue to cause incomprehension and indignation. Especially since the official discourse – that of the organizing committee and the politicians – has not stopped boasting, for months, of the Games “popular”.
Faced with these persistent criticisms, Paris 2024 also insisted, in the press release published on Saturday, to emphasize that “places at 50 euros and less still available in a dozen sports / disciplines”.
“At the start of this third day of sales, there remains a wide variety of offers allowing you to experience the Games at all prices”assure the organizers, who cite the final of the men’s handball tournament in Lille (290 euros), the boxing finals at Roland-Garros (205 euros) or the final of the pole vault or the decathlon events (690 euros).
Paris 2024 also insists on the fact that“there are places left at 24 euros” for football, golf, basketball (in Lille), rowing, canoeing and sailing (in Marseille).
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Ticketing is a sensitive subject, because it must account for a third of the budget established by Paris 2024. To cope with the increase of more than 440 million euros in its projected expenditure, and to display a budget without The Organizing Committee had also had to, at the end of 2022, revise upwards a certain number of the revenues on which it is counting, including those which it intends to draw from the ticket office: from 1.09 billion euros, it had increased its revenue forecast in this area at 1.24 billion euros.