Everything You Need to Know About the Paris Olympics in 2024 (Key Dates, Sports, Lockdowns and More!)

Everything You Need to Know About the Paris Olympics in 2024 (Key Dates, Sports, Lockdowns and More!)

The countdown to the Paris 2024 Olympics has officially begun, with the flame lighting ceremony marking the final leg of preparations. As excitement builds, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this historic event.

Key Dates and Venues of Paris Olympics 2024

The Paris 2024 Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The city is set to transform into a global sports hub, hosting events at iconic venues such as the Stade de France, the Eiffel Tower, and the Champ de Mars.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies

  • Opening Ceremony: July 26, 2024
  • Closing Ceremony: August 11, 2024

The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics will be a spectacular event held along the River Seine, promising a breathtaking start to the games with artistic performances and cultural displays.

The ceremony begins at 6.30pm UK time (13:30 Eastern Time) on Friday 26th of July, and will be broadcast live by the BBC.

It is expected 1 billion people will watch the event around the world and 326,000 will be there in person – a downsizing of the planned 600,000 on security grounds. Because of this it is highly recommended if you are there in person to use your own audio guides to avoid crowds!

New Sports and Events in the Paris 2024 Olympics

The Paris Olympics will introduce several new sports, including:

  • Breakdancing: Making its Olympic debut, this sport will bring a fresh and youthful energy to the Games.
  • Skateboarding, Sport Climbing, and Surfing: These sports, introduced in Tokyo 2020, will continue to captivate audiences.

Where does Wingman come in the picture?

Wander around in Paris in a whole new way with Wingman’s audio tours. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, our curated tours are designed to help you experience the best of the city during the 2024 Olympics.

For first-time visitors we are recommending to check out the Bon Appétit Paris – Bistros & Baguettes tour to find places off the beaten path where to eat and avoid crowds saving you a ton of time!

You could check out all our Paris tours on our landing page, or in app!

Also we are still giving away 50 credits worth up to 100 EUR for our new users…

Dates and Schedule of Every Sport in Paris Olympics 2024

  • 3×3 basketball (Jul 30 – Aug 5)
  • Archery (Jul 25, Jul 28 – Aug 4)
  • Athletics (Aug 1-11)
  • Artistic gymnastics (Jul 27 – Aug 1, Aug 3-5)
  • Artistic swimming (Aug 5-7, Aug 9-10)
  • Badminton (Jul 27 – Aug 5)
  • Basketball (Jul 27 – Aug 4, Aug 6-11)
  • Beach volleyball (Jul 27 – Aug 10)
  • BMX freestyle (Jul 30-31)
  • BMX racing (Aug 1-2)
  • Boxing (Jul 27- Aug 4, Aug 6-10)
  • Breaking (Aug 9-10)
  • Canoe slalom (Jul 27 – Aug 1, Aug 3-5)
  • Canoe sprint (Aug 6-10)
  • Cycling road (Jul 27, Aug 3-4)
  • Cycling track (Aug 5-11)
  • Diving (Jul 27, Jul 29, Jul 31, Aug 2, Aug 5-10)
  • Equestrian (Jul 27 – Aug 6)
  • Fencing (Jul 27 – Aug 4)
  • Football (Jul 24-25, Jul 27-28, Jul 30-31, Aug 2-3, Aug 5-6, Aug 8-10)
  • Golf (Aug 1-4, Aug 7-10)
  • Handball (Jul 25, Jul 27 – Aug 4, Aug 6-11)
  • Hockey (Jul 27 – Aug 9)
  • Judo (Jul 27 – Aug 3)
  • Marathon swimming (Aug 8-9)
  • Modern pentathlon (Aug 8-11)
  • Mountain bike (Jul 28-29)
  • Rhythmic gymnastics (Aug 8-10)
  • Rowing (Jul 27 – Aug 3)
  • Rugby 7s (Jul 24-25, Jul 27-30)
  • Sailing (Jul 28 – Aug 8)
  • Shooting (Jul 27 – Aug 5)
  • Skateboarding (Jul 27-28, Aug 6-7)
  • Sport climbing (Aug 5-10)
  • Surfing (Jul 27-30)
  • Swimming (Jul 27 – Aug 4)
  • Table tennis (July 27 – Aug 10)
  • Taekwondo (Jul 7-10)
  • Tennis (Jul 27 – Aug 4)
  • Trampoline gymnastics (Aug 2)
  • Triathlon (Jul 30-31, Aug 5)
  • Volleyball (Jul 27 – Aug 11)
  • Water polo (Jul 27 – Aug 11)
  • Weightlifting (Aug 7-11)
  • Wrestling (Aug 5-11)

Travel and Accommodation Tips

With millions of visitors expected, planning your trip in advance is crucial. Here are some quick tips to ensure a smooth traveling experience:

Accommodation

Book your accommodation early to secure the best options. Paris offers a range of choices from luxury hotels to budget-friendly hostels and Airbnb rentals.

Paris hotel occupancy levels during the event are hovering around 80 per cent, according to CoStar data released on Jun 26. That’s markedly below hotel occupancy during London 2012 and Rio 2016, which shook out at an average of 88.6 per cent and 94.1 per cent, CoStar data shows.

What about the bedbug situation in Paris?

Emmanuel Gregoire, first deputy mayor of Paris, called on Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne to act on the “scourge” before the Olympics.

“Bed bugs are a public health problem and should be reported as such,” he wrote to her.

Transportation

Paris has an extensive public transportation network. The Metro, buses, and trams will be your best friends for navigating the city. Consider purchasing a travel pass for unlimited rides.

Is the Notre Dame open during Olympics?

President Macron declared after the unfortunate April 2019 fire that he would rebuild the church within five years – a pledge many treated with scepticism.

While the cathedral will not be open to the public in time for the Olympics – the reopening is scheduled for December – the scaffolding has now been removed to reveal the new spire.

Safety and Health tips

Ensure your trip is safe and enjoyable by following these tips:

  • Stay Hydrated (ofc): Paris can be hot in the summer, so drink plenty of water.
  • Secure Your Belongings: Be mindful of pickpockets, especially in crowded areas.
  • Health Precautions: Follow any health guidelines or restrictions in place.

A survival guide to Paris transport closures 2024 Olympics

Restrictions on access to certain areas will begin more than a week in advance as the French capital prepares for an ambitious opening ceremony that will take place over several kilometres along the River Seine – the first to take place outside of an arena in the history of the Olympic Games.

A massive security operation will be under way to secure the river route and ensure the smooth movement of the thousands of people expected to watch the ceremony from the upper and lower quays when it kicks off at 7:30pm on July 26.

As temporary spectator stands are set up around the city and the Seine undergoes a massive cleanup, several metro and RER stations will be closed from July 18.

Metro and RER station closures

Closures from July 18:

Metro line 1: Tuileries, Concorde and Champs-Élysées – Clémenceau stations

Metro line 4: Cité

Metro line 5: Quai de la Rapée

Metro line 6: Trocadéro and Passy

Metro line 7: Châtelet, Pont Marie, Pont Neuf and Sully Morland

Metro line 8: Concorde

Metro line 9: Alma Marceau, Iéna (July 24 only) and Trocadéro

Metro line 10: Javel

Metro line 11: Châtelet

Metro line 12: Concorde

Metro line 13: Champs-Élysées – Clémenceau

On the RER C line, the Musée d’Orsay, Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel and Pont de l’Alma stations will be closed.

More stations will gradually close after 1pm on July 26:

On metro line 1: Hôtel de Ville and Saint-Paul

Metro line 4: Cité 

Metro line 5: Quai de la Rapée

Metro line 8: Invalides, Tour Maubourg and École Militaire

Metro line 11: Rambuteau and Hôtel de Ville

Metro line 13: trains will not stop at Champs-Elysées – Clémenceau or Invalides 

The Solférino and Rue du Bac stations (line 12), Varenne and Saint François-Xavier (line 13), as well as Tour Maubourg and École Militaire (line 8) will be kept open for everyday travellers, but will be indicated as unavailable to spectators. Also, in case of crowds, trains may not stop at these stations.

Between 6pm and 9:30pm, line 6 will be completely closed, the terminus of line 5 will be at Bastille, the RER C will be halted inside Paris and the T3a tram will only run between Pont du Garigliano and Porte d’Ivry.

Full list of closures.

Where does Wingman come in the picture?

Wander around in Paris in a whole new way with Wingman’s audio tours. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, our curated tours are designed to help you experience the best of the city during the 2024 Olympics.

For first-time visitors we are recommending to check out the Bon Appétit Paris – Bistros & Baguettes tour to find places off the beaten path where to eat and avoid crowds saving you a ton of time!

You could check out all our Paris tours on our landing page, or in app!

PS: we are still giving away 50 credits worth up to 100 EUR for our new users…