Estangue defends ticketing model for next Olympics after controversy

The president of the Paris2024 Organizing Committee returned on Tuesday to defend the ticketing model for the next Olympic Games, calling the process a “success” with 6.8 out of 10 million tickets already sold.

“14 months after the Games, we have already sold 6.8 million tickets, which shows a lot of enthusiasm. This is an important success in terms of sales and exceeds our goals,” said Tony Estangue.

The former French canoeist said that about 5.2 of the eight million tickets available to the public in the first two stages of sales – the second has just closed – have been sold.

A total of 6.8 million was reached, of which 1.6 were sold to communities, the state and leaders. This leaves about 2.8 million tickets available for the general public to purchase in the new sales phase “this summer,” according to Estanguet.

The controversy surrounding Paris 2024 ticket sales has escalated in recent days, with criticism both of their prices being too high by the public and their scarcity multiplying.

Asked about them and that the high prices cast doubt on the idea he championed of hosting a “people’s” Olympics, he replied that he had adopted a “tariff strategy.”

“The availability of the ‘popular’ Games is reflected in the number and price of tickets. We believe that four million tickets for €50 or less, one million for €24, and free competitions […]our commitment to holding the Games open to as many people as possible has been fulfilled,” he said, acknowledging, however, the understanding of the “frustration” of buyers who sold a million tickets in just 36 hours in the second phase.

The president of the organization also admitted that “it was known from the very beginning that the demand would not be answered. [de bilhetes]which far outweighs the available supply.”

Ticket receipts for Paris 2024, which starts in 430 days and ends on August 11, should amount to 1.4 billion euros, out of the Organizing Committee’s total budget of 4.4 billion.