Record 8.6 Million Tickets Sold for Paris Olympics

Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
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Record 8.6 Million Tickets Sold for Paris Olympics

Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP
Paris Games chief organizer Tony Estanguet at the Olympic village in Saint-Denis on Thursday © EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP

The Paris Olympics already has one gold medal in the bag before it begins with 8.6 million tickets sold -- a record for any Games.

"It's a record held by the 1996 Atlanta Games of 8.3 million tickets, and we've already passed that total now some time ago," the 2024 Games organizer Tony Estanguet told AFP on Thursday.

"We are at 8.6 million tickets for the Olympics, and over one million for the Paralympics," he reported.

Paris organizers forecast that total rising to 10 million for the July 26-August 11 sporting extravaganza, and 3.4 million for the Paralympics staged between August 28 and September 8.

"The good news is that in this final stretch we are making available a number of tickets for lots of sports," Estanguet said.

"There are lots of really good options at different prices both for the Olympics, Paralympics, and opening and closing ceremonies."

He added: "We are proud to have already beaten the record, but we can still do even better."



Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
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Olympic Cauldron to Rise into Paris Skies Each Night

 Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Paris, France - July 27, 2024. A general view of the balloon and Olympic cauldron in Jardin des Tuileries. (Reuters)

The Olympic cauldron that made a stunning first flight at the Paris Games opening ceremony will sit on the ground during the day and rise again every evening.

Paris Olympics organizers said that from Saturday, the cauldron attached to a balloon will fly more than 60 meters (197 feet) above the Tuileries gardens near the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre museum from sunset until 2 a.m.

During daytime hours, 10,000 people each day can get free tickets to approach the cauldron, which is the first in Olympic history to light up without the use of fossil fuels.

Organizers said the electric flame uses 40 LED spotlights “to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles.”