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When and Where Are the Paris 2024 Olympics? The Games Will Feature Iconic and Unexpected Locations
Sports fans can travel to multiple locations to watch the Summer Games, including one in the heart of Versailles.
The 2024 Olympics are going to be so chic, they'll have you saying ooh la la.
For the third time in history, Paris will be hosting the Olympic Games, meaning there are going to be some iconic sites — of course, the Eiffel Tower is one — serving as the backdrop to many sporting events. Expect to see races along the Seine and celebrations on the iconic Place de la Concorde, where a temporary arena will be set up.
And in an Olympics first, the Summer Games will take place across multiple continents. Because of the size and scale of the celebrations, France has divided the games into different zones, one of which is located in French Polynesia.
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Keep reading to find out where the 2024 Olympics will be hosted throughout France — and beyond!
When are the Olympics?
The Olympics officially commence on July 26, when the Opening Ceremony will take place on the River Seine.
Following the grand ceremony — which will be emceed by Peyton Manning, Kelly Clarkson, and Mike Tirico, among others — the athletes will compete in their respective sports for two weeks. To see the full schedule of events, click here.
At the end of the two weeks, the Olympics will draw to a close and the athletes will once again come together for the Closing Ceremony. Jimmy Fallon and Mike Tirico are expected to co-host NBC's coverage of the celebrations on August 11.
Where are the 2024 Olympics?
While Paris is technically the host city, only 80 percent of the Summer Games will take place in the Paris region, according to the Paris 2024 site. That means 22 sporting events will take place in Paris and its neighboring communities, while the remainder are outsourced to cities across France and in one French colony.
But those interested in watching the soccer tournament will have to travel outside of Paris to the six other cities hosting the matches. Those are Bordeaux, Nantes, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Nice, and Marseille.
Marseille will additionally host sailing.
Then, on the other side of the world, the surfers will face off at Teahupo’o in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia. While there's a large surf community on the French coast in Biarritz, Teahupo'o offers bigger and more challenging waves, making it the ideal battleground for the world's best.
Notable 2024 Olympic Venues
Some of the most popular sporting events will see fans gather at pre-existing stadiums as part of the city's sustainability efforts.
Stade de France
Soccer fans will likely recognize the Stade de France, which will serve as the venue for rugby and track and field, as well as the Closing Ceremony.
Originally built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the stadium currently is the home of France's national football and rugby teams.
Stade Roland Garros
Tennis watchers will feel right at home when Rafael Nadal and more players return to Roland Garros for the 2024 Summer Games.
Named after World War I aviator Roland Garros, the tennis stadium was built in 1928. It was primarily intended to be the battleground for French tennis players Jacques "Toto" Brugnon, Jean the "Bouncing Basque" Borotra, Henri "The Magician" Cochet, and René "The Crocodile" Lacoste — a.k.a. les Quatre Mousquetaires or the Four Musketeers — who had won the Davis Cup the prior year. As such, four of the courts on the premises are named after the players, according to the New York Times.
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Most recently, a fifth court was added to the complex in honor of Simonne-Mathieu, a trailblazing tennis player who created the first French female military unit during World War II.
Nearly a century later, the Davis Cup and more tournaments, including the French Open, continue to be hosted at the stadium, which is known for its red clay courts.
Versailles
The former home to the French court will be the site of the equestrian and modern pentathlon events for the Summer 2024 games. Temporary stands will be erected in the palace gardens and along the Grand Canal, where Marie Antoinette and more French nobility used to hold fabulous parties, making for a truly one-of-a-kind experience.
Place de la Concorde
Located in the heart of the eighth arrondissement, the Place de la Concorde is one of the largest squares in Paris. It has served as the backdrop for many historic moments, including some from the French Revolution. And come Summer 2024, it will be the setting of yet another momentous occasion: the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A temporary stadium will be erected at the square, where basketball 3x3, BMX freestyle, skateboarding, and breaking will take place. This is the second time that basketball 3x3, BMX, and skateboarding will be a part of the Olympics, while breaking will make its debut this year.
Grand Palais
The Grand Palais was built in 1897 as a museum and exposition hall, but has served many purposes since its construction. Case in point, during World War II the building functioned as a hospital.
For the Summer Games, it will host the Taekwondo and fencing competitions.
The Paris Olympic Aquatic Centre in Saint-Denis is the only new, permanent stadium to be built for the Olympics.
How many times has Paris hosted the Olympics?
Paris has hosted the Olympics twice, making this the second city — London was the first — to host the Summer Games three times.
The 1900 Olympics
The French city hosted the Summer Games for the first time in 1900, four years after the first-ever Summer Games took place in Athens. Still in its infancy, the 1900 Paris Olympics, which took place from May to October, were disorganized and chaotic. They were overshadowed by the ongoing World's Fair, which included its own sporting events, creating confusion around which sporting events were part of the fair and which were official Olympic Games. For this reason, some athletes didn't even know they were Olympians at all, according to Bill Mallon's The 1900 Olympic Games.
Because of the confusion, the awards varied. Official Olympic medalists took home rectangular medals — 1900 Olympic medals are the only ones to be rectangular — while others took home cups or trophies, according to Mallon.
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Notably, many of the current Olympic traditions hadn't been established by then. There were no opening or closing ceremonies; National Olympic Committees weren't yet organized, so there were no official teams.
The 1924 Olympics
By the time Paris hosted the Games for a second time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had things down pat and new traditions were established.
The creation of an Olympic Village and the raising of the Olympic flag and current and future host nation flags are among the traditions that came out of the 1924 Olympics, according to Olympics.com.
One stadium that was used in the 1924 Olympics will be used at the 2024 Games: Stade Yves-du-Manoir, formerly known as the Stade Olympique de Colombes. In 1924, this was the location for a majority of the sporting events, including track and field, but in 2024 it will just be used for field hockey.
Last but not least, the 1924 Olympics were notable in that they marked the first Winter Games. Held in Chamonix from January to February, the Winter Games allowed for the inclusion of athletes and sports that were previously not included in the Olympic tradition. The practice of holding the Winter Games the same year as the Summer Games continued until 1992, when the IOC decided to hold the Winter events two years after the Summer ones began.
Where are the next Olympics?
Following the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the Summer Games will head to the sun-soaked land of Los Angeles, California. Though there are more than four years till fans need to worry about the 2028 Olympics, the city of L.A. is already prepping for the arrival of thousands of athletes and tourists. In fact, the city hopes to host the first "Energy Positive Games."
Originally published Sep 7, 2023.
