More than 320,000 tickets to watch the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics

Speaking at the French Senate, Mr. Darmanin made it clear that the audience would be divided into two groups, in which 104,000 paid ticket-buying spectators would be arranged closer to the banks of the Seine (the main stage of the opening ceremony) compared to the group of 222,000 people who received free tickets.

According to Minister Gerald Darmanin, about 200,000 people will watch the parade along the Seine from the balconies of buildings near the area, while 50,000 people will be present in fan zones (areas for fans) in the capital Paris.

A total of 180 boats will take part in the opening ceremony parade, of which 94 will carry athletes, said Marc Guillaume, the senior official in charge of security in the Paris region.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Organizing Committee has decided to scale down the opening ceremony after facing opposition from French security agencies and public concerns about the risk of terrorist attacks on the occasion.

French security forces are screening the profiles of about 1 million people ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, including athletes and people living near key infrastructure for the event, according to the French Interior Ministry.

Before the Paris 2024 Olympics begin on July 26, authorities will conduct background checks on all 10,500 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes, as well as other members of the sports delegations and 26,000 journalists covering the two events. All 22,000 security personnel and 45,000 volunteers working at the two sporting events will also undergo similar checks.

The verification process for 12,000 people selected to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympic torch relay has been completed, of which 13 people were not qualified.