Iconic and picturesque: All about the Paris Olympics 2024 venues

The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics will take place from July 26 to August 11 in Paris and 16 other cities in France. This quadrennial event will be hosted in the French capital for the third time, following the years 1900 and 1924. Around 10,500 athletes are expected to participate in 329 events, which will be held across 35 venues in the country.

The upcoming edition in France will continue the tradition of utilising popular buildings and arenas across the host country. Various iconic locations such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Chateau de Versailles, and the Roucas-Blanc Marina in Marseille will serve as the settings for events during the 17 days of action.

ROLAND GARROS

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Tennis, Boxing; Capacity: 34,000

The Stade Roland-Garros, situated in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, is renowned for its rich history in tennis and will also host boxing events during the Games.

This iconic venue, which hosts the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament each year, spans 12 hectares and features 18 clay courts, including the main court, Philippe-Chatrier Court (below), equipped with a retractable roof for inclement weather. Additionally, boxing competitions will take place at the North Paris Arena, an exhibition centre with nine halls located in Seine-Saint-Denis.

GRAND PALAIS

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Fencing, Taekwondo; Capacity: 8,000

The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, located in the heart of Paris, was constructed for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. This venue showcases exhibitions by artists from around the world and also served as the site for the World Fencing Championships in 2010. Additionally, the building was utilised during the final stage of the renowned Tour de France cycling event in 2017.

EIFFEL TOWER STADIUM

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Beach Volleyball; Capacity: 12,860

The Champ de Mars public gardens, located next to the iconic Eiffel Tower, host numerous events and celebrations throughout the year. These lawns were previously used as marching grounds by the French military. A temporary outdoor setup will be constructed in the gardens to host the beach volleyball event during the Summer Games.

CHAMP DE MARS ARENA

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Judo, Wrestling; Capacity: 8,356

The Champ De Mars Arena is a 10,000 square meter temporary structure located opposite the Ecole Militaire on one side and the Eiffel Tower on the other. Currently known as the Grand Palais Ephemere, it serves as a temporary replacement for the Grand Palais, which is undergoing renovation ahead of the Games. The Arena will be the venue for the Judo and Wrestling events at the Olympics, after which it will be dismantled.

PARC DES PRINCES

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Football; Capacity: 47,926

The Parc des Princes has been home to the Paris Saint-Germain football club since 1974. It was built by renowned architect Roger Taillibert. The stadium has hosted the French national football and rugby teams and was used during the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the European Championships in 2016.

Other stadiums hosting football during Paris 2024 include Bordeaux Stadium in Bordeaux, Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint Etienne, La Beaujoire Stadium in Nantes, Lyon Stadium in Decines, Marseille Stadium in Marseille, and Nice Stadium in Nice.

PLACE DE LA CONCORDE

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: BMX Freestyle, Skateboarding, Breaking, 3X3 Basketball; Capacity: 30,000

Located in the Champs-Elysees area of Paris, the Place de la Concorde is one of the most well-known public squares in the city. It has been the site of victory celebrations after the First and Second World Wars and most recently during the 1998 FIFA Men’s World Cup. La Concorde has been temporarily reimagined as an open arena and will be hosting the urban sports of the Paris Games. Breaking, a new addition to this edition of the Olympics, will be held here for the first time. In addition, the Mountain Bike competition will be held at Elancourt Hill, while the Cycling Road competition will take place at Pont Alexandre III and Trocadero. Events for cycling will also be hosted at the Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines Velodrome and BMX Stadium.

ESPLANADE DES INVALIDES

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Archery; Capacity: 8,000

Les Invalides is a group of buildings located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It was built by Louis XIV in 1687 as a military hospital and retirement home for war veterans. The Esplanade is the lawn area situated to the north of these buildings. The complex now includes military museums and the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Esplanade des Invalides will host the archery event during the Games and will also be the finishing line for the marathon. Other venues that will host the athletics events include Stade de France, Trocadéro, and Hôtel de Ville in Paris.

CHATEAU DE VERSAILLES

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Equestrian, Modern Pentathlon; Capacity: 15,000 – 40,000

The Palace of Versailles served as the residence of King Louis XIV and other French royalty until the French Revolution. Following that, the site was transformed into a public museum and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

There is a temporary outdoor arena outside the palace which will be used to host the dressage, eventing cross country, and jumping competitions of Equestrian, as well as the Modern Pentathlon events, with the exception of the fencing ranking rounds.

TEAHUPO’O

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Surfing; Capacity: 600

Teahupoʻo is a settlement on the southwest coast of Tahiti, an island in the region of French Polynesia located in the Pacific Ocean. The area has hosted the Pro Tahiti World Championship event and the World Surf Championship Tour. The waves of Teahupoʻo will host the surfing competitions, which will be held for only the second time in the Summer Games.

YVES-DU-MANOIR STADIUM

Paris 2024 sport disciplines: Hockey; Capacity: 15,000

The Stade Yves-du-Manoir will be the only venue in the Paris 2024 roster that has hosted an Olympic event before. The stadium was utilised during the 1924 Olympics in the city, hosting events including athletics, horse riding, football, and rugby, among others. The venue also hosted the final of the 1938 FIFA World Cup, where Italy defeated Hungary to claim its second title.

Apart from these main locations, a few other centres will also host competitions during the Paris Games. The South Paris Centre, located in the 15th arrondissement, will host handball, table tennis, volleyball, and weightlifting competitions.

The Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, the home base for the Lille Olympique Sporting Club (LOSC Lille), will host the basketball and handball events.

The badminton competition will take place at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, which has a capacity of 8,000 seats. The site will also host the Rhythmic Gymnastics event. Golf National, one of the most prestigious golf venues in the continent, used for the Ryder Cup in 2018, will host the golf events at the Paris Games.

Among the aquatic events, Artistic Swimming will be held at the Aquatics Centre in Seine-Saint-Denis, while the Marathon Swimming event will take place at Pont Alexandre III. Paris La Defense Arena in Saint-Etienne will host the swimming and water polo events, while the Canoe and Rowing events will take place at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. The Bercy Arena in Paris is another location where multiple disciplines like Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, and Basketball will take place.

All shooting events will be exclusively held at the Châteauroux Shooting Centre, while surfing events will be held at the Marseille Marina. The Le Bourget climbing venue in Seine-Saint-Denis is where sport climbing will take place and is only the second venue to be built from scratch after the Aquatics Centre in the same city.

All you need to know about Paris 2024

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