We know it, the real news, we get it in unofficial briefs, between two doors. When we are in the tinsel, we are more in the symbolic info. This was the case this Monday morning since the organizing committee of the Olympic Games (Cojo) had squarely given an appointment to the press at the Gustave Eiffel lounge, on the 1st floor of the tower of the same name, for the launch of the ticket office.
The beginning of the conference was hardly reassuring for paper-pushers eager for exclusivity: a film on the French champions at the Olympics, a short speech by Tony Estanguet, charming but without info – “to live a great moment of emotion behind the athletes of the French team”-, testimonials from Romane Dicko (world judo champion) and Laura Flessel on their experience of the Olympics… Nice but that’s not what makes the schmilblick progress. And finally came the news of the day: opening of the ticket office on December 1! Bad luck, she had already gone out in the Sunday newspaper the day before. For the rest, we already knew almost everything since a conference held by the Cojo on July 25th.
A reverse process
But we are not stingy at 20 minutes and we are going to remind you of the main principles of ticketing. As the Cojo does not want to do anything like everyone else, it has decided to “reverse the logic of drawing lots”, indicated Tony Estanguet, chairman of the Committee. To put it simply, before, we issued a wish list on different ticket packs and then we were drawn to see if we got them. For Paris 2024, we will be drawn and then we can choose to compose our pack with the available tickets. “A new optimized shopping experience”, in the words of the former Olympic champion.
In concrete terms, from December 1 and until January 31, you can register on the tickets.paris2024.org platform for the draw. Then at the end of this period, the draw begins. It will not happen all at once, it will be progressive, depending on the tickets available. From February 13, the first lucky ones will receive an email to inform them that in 48 hours, they will have access to the online ticket office to build their pack. It will open from February 15. Each draw will have a slot of 48 hours during which he can buy up to 30 tickets in one or more times. The available offer will be updated in real time to avoid waiting and saturation and to obtain a “much more fluid experience”, according to the Cojo.
Approximately 48 million possibilities
In all, there will be 13 million tickets on sale, including 10 million for the Olympic phase with more than 600 possible sessions, which gives around 48 million possibilities, according to the Cojo. It will therefore be necessary to inquire well during the 48 hours before the opening of its slot to avoid the panic buy as they say across the Channel. Finally, as long as there are still tickets available, new registrants will be drawn and new purchase slots opened. “The first prices will be from 24 euros and half of the tickets will be 50 euros or less,” confirmed Tony Estanguet, who expects total revenue to reach one billion.
But ticketing is like grammar, pleasure comes from exceptions. And as we are French, we are served. Let’s start with the Paris 2024 club. If you are registered there in addition to your registration for the online ticket office, you will benefit from an advantage. So it wasn’t very clear despite several questions on the subject, but here’s how it should work. The draw begins among members of the Paris 2024 club, to whom the first four days of sale will be reserved, then it will continue among ordinary registered members. Basically if you are not part of the club, your choice will be limited whatever your draw.
An official resale platform
And so that “the Olympic Games are accessible to the greatest number”, according to the president of the Cojo, he “decided to finance 100,000 tickets for social programs from the Olympic Games endowment fund”. A system of donations at the time of purchase will also be put in place “so that this chain of solidarity is as complete as possible”. In addition, for people with reduced mobility, a specific interface is provided to allow the purchase of a seat for an accompanying person.
Once the tickets have been purchased, they will be sent to you shortly before the competition to avoid resale on the black market. Moreover, there will be an official platform for resale at face value. Finally, the tickets will be nominative with random checks on site. This phase must be completed on March 15, or even earlier. It will be followed by a second phase in May where it will be possible to obtain single tickets. But this is another story.