Ticket prices for next year’s summer Olympic games are causing some raised eyebrows.
Sebastian Coe, the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and former head of the London 2012 organizing committee, criticized the Paris 2024 bosses for the cost of tickets for next year’s event, noting that fans and the families of athletes will be priced-out.
“We have made the point that prices are lumpy,” he told British journalists. “It is important that our stadiums are full of people that love our sport, not people that can afford to get to an Olympics.”
He went on to note that the 2024 games are “going to be the most expensive ticket prices in an athletics arena that we have witnessed at an Olympic Games.” Currently, Category First seats are going for €990 on the high end, followed by Category A-D tickets, ranging from €690 to €85.
In a statement to the Guardian, Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet fired back at the claims, noting that a third of their budget is made up of ticket sales, leading to the expensive tickets.
“As far as prices are concerned, if I look at what has happened in relation to previous editions in London or even Tokyo, we can see that we are in roughly the same price range,” Estanguet said, pointing to the fact that London’s games took place 12 years ago, and with inflation, prices are “within the norm for such an exceptional experience.”
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Back in 2012, the price was £20, which would equate to around €27 with inflation. On the other hand, the maximum in London was £725, which today, would be over €1,000, Estanguet said.
“Today, our ticketing figures are absolutely unprecedented,” Estanguet continued. “We’re delighted with the approach we’ve taken to make the event accessible to as many people as possible, with tickets starting at €24 and half the tickets at €50 or less.”
