Host cities of recent editions of the Olympic Games have successfully transformed their most iconic locations into memorable competition settings.
In Rome 1960, the Basilica of Maxentius and the Roman Forum witnessed intense wrestling matches, while Sydney 2000 immortalized triathlon against the backdrop of the famous Opera House. Athens 2004, in turn, transported us through time, resurrecting venues from both Ancient and Modern Games.
The upcoming Paris 2024 Games, set to illuminate the City of Light, will continue this tradition, further enriching the splendid legacy of historical and impressive Olympic venues.
From the world-renowned Champ de Mars and Eiffel Tower to the breathtaking beauty of Teahupo’o in Tahiti, we invite you to explore the most emblematic competition venues that Paris 2024 has to offer.
Paris and its region boast 95% of existing infrastructure to minimize environmental impact.
Moreover, few venues are being built or renovated for the organization of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Among the existing sports facilities, we can mention Roland-Garros Stadium, where all tennis tournaments will take place (July 27 to August 4, 2024), including wheelchair tennis tournaments (August 30 to September 7, 2024). The boxing final events will occur live on the Philippe Chatrier Court from August 6 to 10, 2024.
Parc des Princes is the chosen venue for organizing the Olympic football tournaments (both men’s and women’s) from July 24 to August 10, 2024, including matches for the gold medals.
The Accor Arena, renamed Arena Bercy during the Paris 2024 Games, is a well-known sports and cultural arena that hosts major concerts by French and international stars and important sports competitions such as the Rolex Paris Masters in tennis or the Paris Grand Slam in judo.
During the Paris 2024 Games, the final phases of the basketball tournaments (August 6 to 11, 2024), artistic gymnastics competitions (July 27 to August 5, 2024), trampoline events (August 2, 2024), and wheelchair basketball games will take place in the Bercy Arena.
Stade de France
Built-in Saint-Denis (93) for the occasion of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Stade de France is a modern and versatile facility that has been the stage for the largest sporting events held in France since its inauguration.
The arena also hosts artistic events, with the largest concerts of French and international stars organized each year. In 2024, Stade de France will host athletics, para-athletics, and rugby competitions.
Will Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s 100 meters world record be broken? Will Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis improve his world record?
Find out between August 1 and 11, 2024, during the athletics events.
It’s worth noting that the men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams will compete at Stade de France for the Olympic tournament from July 24 to 30, 2024. As for para-athletics events, see you from August 30 to September 8, 2024.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that Stade de France made history in 1998 during the FIFA World Cup when France clinched the world champion title by defeating Brazil 3-0 in the final.
This event not only emphasized the significance of the stadium as a venue for major sporting events but also contributed to the creation of unforgettable memories for sports fans and the entire French nation.
Still in Greater Paris, prestigious venues with ultramodern facilities like Golf National, Vélodrome National, or Stade Yves-du-Manoir will respectively host golf tournaments (August 1 to 10, 2024), track cycling (August 5 to 11, 2024), and field hockey (July 27 to August 9, 2024).
Temporary Competition Venues
Paris and its surroundings are themselves competition venues.
Athletes starting the marathon – August 10, 2024, for men, and August 11, 2024, for women – will gather at the majestic and festive Place de l’Hôtel de Ville before embarking on the legendary 42.195 km run through the streets of Paris and the surrounding area.
The route passes by the Palais Garnier, the Louvre Museum, the Grand Palais, the Trocadéro, the Palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and concludes at the Esplanade des Invalides.
Several iconic locations in the capital are transformed during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games into temporary stadiums. Place de la Concorde, centered around the 3,000-year-old Luxor Obelisk, hosts new and spectacular sporting events: 3×3 basketball (July 30 to August 5, 2024), BMX freestyle (July 30 and 31, 2024), breakdancing (August 9 and 10, 2024), and skateboarding (July 27 and 28, 2024, then August 6 and 7, 2024).
The Eiffel Tower Stadium (approximately 13,000 spectators) is located in the Champ-de-Mars park, between the Eiffel Tower and École Militaire.
This is where spectators will be thrilled by beach volleyball competitions (July 27 to August 10, 2024) and blind football, exclusively for men (August 30 to September 7, 2024).
As a business tourism capital, Paris houses top-notch convention and exhibition centers.
Some of them, during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, will be transformed into competition venues.
This includes the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, where pavilions 1, 4, and 6 will be renamed Arena Paris Sud 1, Arena Paris Sud 4, and Arena Paris Sud 6, respectively.
The first will host part of the volleyball Olympic tournament (from July 27 to August 11, 2024) and the Para-Olympic boccia tournament (from August 9 to September 5, 2024).
The second will host Olympic and Paralympic table tennis tournaments (from July 27 to August 10, 2024, for the Olympic tournament, and from August 29 to September 7, 2024, for the Paralympic tournament).
The third will host the impressive weightlifting event (August 7 to 11, 2024), the preliminary rounds of men’s and women’s handball tournaments from July 25 to August 4, 2024 (the finals will take place from August 6 to 11, 2024, at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille), and Para-Olympic goalball (August 29 to September 5, 2024).
The Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition center will also be transformed into a sports arena during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Renamed Arena Paris Nord during the competition, it will serve as the venue for boxing events (preliminary rounds from July 27 to August 4, 2024), modern pentathlon fencing events (August 8, 2024), and sitting volleyball, from August 29 to September 7, 2024.
Renovated Venues
Among the competition venues benefiting from refurbishment for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is the Grand Palais.
Inaugurated for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, the neighbouring building on Avenue des Champs-Élysées usually hosts major artistic and sports events under its impressive glass roof.
Its reopening is scheduled for 2024, shortly before the Paris Games, during which it will host fencing competitions (July 27 to August 4, 2024) and taekwondo (August 7 to 10, 2024), as well as their Para-Olympic versions.
During the Grand Palais renovations, the Grand Palais Éphémère is where the public can benefit from the program.
Located in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais Éphémère, designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, will become the Champ-de-Mars Arena during the Paris 2024 Games.
The audience will cheer for the world’s best judokas from July 27 to August 3, 2024, and the top wrestlers from August 5 to 11, 2024.
In this arena, Para-judo athletes (September 5 to 7, 2024) and wheelchair rugby athletes (August 29 to September 2, 2024) will compete for the gold medal.
The Grand Palais Éphémère will be dismantled after the Paris 2024 Games.
New Facilities
In addition to the construction of the Olympic Village, three new venues are emerging to become a lasting part of the urban, cultural, and sports landscape of Greater Paris.
The Arena Porte de la Chapelle is the first of these new venues. Located in the 18th arrondissement, it serves as a link between Paris and its region.
Paris Basketball has been its resident team since its opening in February 2024. The ecologically designed venue is intended to host both sporting and cultural events.
Here, the public is invited to the badminton competitions (July 7 to August 5, 2024) and rhythmic gymnastics (August 8 to 10, 2024) during the Olympic Games.
Later, from August 29 to September 2, 2024, the public will cheer for Para-badminton athletes, and from September 4 to 8, 2024, for Para-powerlifting athletes.
The Bourget Climbing Venue, located in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, is a sports facility built specifically for the Paris Olympic Games. Located northeast of the capital and easily accessible, it is the exclusive venue for events in a new discipline: sport climbing.
The competition takes place in two stages: from August 5 to 8, 2024, for speed, and from August 5 to 9, 2024, for combined difficulty and boulder.
Finally, the Saint-Denis Aquatic Center is the last venue to be built specifically for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Adjacent to the Stade de France, the two venues are connected by a walkway overlooking the A1 highway.
During the Paris 2024 Games, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy iconic events such as diving (July 27 to August 10, 2024), artistic swimming (August 5 to 10, 2024), and water polo (July 27 to August 4, 2024).
