PARIS, March 6 French authorities have decided to reduce the number of spectators at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris on July 26, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
Speaking in the French Senate on Tuesday, Darmanin said that 326 thousand spectators would be able to see the opening ceremony live, and not 600 thousand, as originally announced. Of these, 220 thousand will be held with free tickets. Another 104 thousand spectators will be located on the lower embankments of the Seine. The cost of these tickets reaches 2.7 thousand euros. According to the minister, the decision to reduce the number of spectators was made due to limited space and the need to allocate 3 square meters per person, as well as the decision of President Emmanuel Macron not to dismantle the second-hand book stalls on the upper embankments, which block the view of the ceremony.
He recalled that the Summer Olympics is the largest of all world sporting events, which poses an “unprecedented challenge” for law enforcement forces. For the first time in history, the opening ceremony will take place outside the stadium. He noted that 180 ships will take part in the parade on the Seine, from which a light show will be broadcast. 94 of them will accommodate 10.5 thousand athletes taking part in competitions.
Darmanen noted that during the ceremony the airspace over Paris will be closed within a radius of 150 kilometers. Security for the ceremony in the Ile-de-France metropolitan region will be provided by 45 thousand police officers.
Earlier, French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera reported that the number of spectators at the ceremony could be reduced “for security reasons.”
The Olympic Games in Paris will start on July 26, 2024 and will last until August 11, 2024.