NBC 7’s Steven Luke is live in Paris with a look at why tomorrow’s ceremony is presenting some unique security challenges from previous years.
The Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics is just days away, and the city is about to make a splash. Literally.
For the first time in the history of the Games, the festivities of the Opening Ceremony will take place on a river, with athletes arriving on nearly 100 boats down. They will travel down the six-kilometer route, passing some of the city’s most iconic bridges and landmarks and ending near the Eiffel Tower.
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Changing the venue from land to sea, and creating what is expected to be a picturesque backdrop for the evening's festivities, has added some intrigue to the official kickoff of the two-week global competition.
If you're in Paris and want to see the games begin, you're going to need a waterfront ticket. But with the ceremony being outdoors, it allows for many more spectators to witness the historic event in person, with hundreds of thousands expected.
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On Wednesday, it was eerily quiet along the Seine River except for the random sirens of police motorcades and helicopters circling above.
The Opening Ceremony lockdown has the millions of people in Paris (without credential or residential pass) only able to cross the river at a few of the many bridges connecting one side of Paris to the other.
Gates, fences and police checkpoints make for confusion among visitors and residents alike. Increased security will remain through the Opening Ceremony.
Organizers initially planned to have 600,000 spectators at the open-air Opening Ceremony. That was scaled back due to safety and logistic concerns.
Earlier this year, the overall number of spectators was reduced to around 300,000.
Most of the tickets to the Opening Ceremony were free but were by invitation only.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said in March that 104,000 of the spectators will be paying ticket holders with spots along the lower riverbanks, with another 222,000 watching for free from the upper banks.
According to The Brussels Times, Paris city hall began distributing 55,000 free tickets to the public in May. Free ticket priority included families from underprivileged areas with the lowest incomes, young people, sports movements and people helping to organize the Olympics, including city workers and traders.
Those invited will then need to undergo further security checks and will receive QR codes to pass security barriers.
The riverside route will be divided into 15 zones for spectators. Ticket prices for the lower quays ranged from about $100 to $3,000, with some tickets still available.
Another 200,000 people are expected to watch the opening from inside apartments or buildings overlooking the river, and about 50,000 from fan zones, Darmanin said.
The 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony is set for Friday, July 26, at 7:30 p.m. local time in Paris, which is 1:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 a.m. PT.
