Paris Olympics sets record with 8.6 million tickets sold

The Paris Olympics, set to open on July 26, has set a new record for the highest number of tickets sold in history.

According to AFP on Thursday, Tony Estanguet, chairman of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee, announced that over 8.6 million Olympic tickets have already been sold. This surpasses the previous record of 8.3 million tickets sold during the 1996 Atlanta Games, making it the highest ever.

The Paris Organizing Committee aims to sell 10 million tickets by the closing of the Olympics on August 11. "Good tickets are still available, including for the opening and closing ceremonies,” Chairman Estanguet stated. “While we are proud of breaking the record, we are not stopping here."

The Paris Olympics offers a range of ticket prices, making it an inclusive event for all. Tickets for athletics, basketball, and swimming, the most popular events, are priced at a maximum of 980 euros (approximately 1.47 million won). On the other hand, tickets for race walking, road cycling, sailing, and mountain biking, starting at 24 euros (about 36,000 won), are the most affordable. This wide price range ensures that everyone can be part of this record-breaking event.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics were held without paid spectators. About 6.15 million tickets were sold for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

More than 1 million tickets have already been sold for the Paris Paralympics, which will take place from August 28 to September 8. The Paris Organizing Committee expects to sell a total of 3.4 million tickets for the Paralympics.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com