Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony: the Concorde takes center stage!

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Updated on 26/08/2024

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opening of the 2024 Olympic Games athletes' parade
Crédit photo : Paris 2024

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On August 28, starting at 8pm, the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will take place on the Place de la Concorde, preceded by a parade of para-athletes and the arrival of the flame on the Champs-Élysées. 50,000 spectators are expected to attend.
One again, the opening ceremony will be held outdoors. Following the Olympic Games' innovative opening ceremony on the Seine, a second groundbreaking development awaits sports enthusiasts around the world! The 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony will be held at the Place de la Concorde.
On August 28, 50,000 spectators are expected in the heart of Paris. Following a widely-attended parade on the Champs-Élysées avenue (8th), featuring thousands of athletes from 168 nations, the opening ceremony will be held at the Place de la Concorde (8th) from 8 pm to 11:15 pm, open for spectators to enjoy. This landmark of French history, inaugurated in the 18th century, hosted several Olympic Games events this summer.
As with the Olympic Games, the artistic direction of the opening ceremony has been entrusted to French director Thomas Jolly. A spectacular event awaits!
The opening ceremony will be designed to allow all members of the public, regardless of disability, to fully enjoy the festivities. Paris 2024 is ensuring that universal accessibility is integrated into every aspect of the ceremony. The aim is to provide athletes and spectators with a barrier-free experience.

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An incredible experience for spectators

  • 35,000 people on the Place de la Concorde (paying);
  • 15,000 people down the Champs-Élysées (free).

Attend free of charge at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées:

  • the Élysées zone, which can accommodate up to 6,000 people;
  • the Seine zone, which can accommodate up to 9,000 people.
Access to these two zones is free, without tickets or a Games Pass, and subject to availability.
Doors open at 5pm. A word of advice: come as early as possible.
A security check will be carried out at the entrance gates (list of prohibited items). Spectators will receive a wristband allowing them access to their zone and to the various services.

What to see in the free zones

Experience the Opening Ceremony live with :
  • the para-athletes parade representing 168 countries from Place Clemenceau (8th) to Place de la Concorde (8th);
  • The ceremony will be broadcast on six giant screens with sound, allowing the entire event to be followed in each public reception area.
The zones will be equipped with numerous sanitary facilities - including several dedicated to people with reduced mobility - and 48 water distribution points for filling your metal or plastic water bottle (75 cl maximum). Catering facilities will also be available in each zone.
People with disabilities can also benefit from :
  • dedicated areas with raised platforms;
  • seating for frail persons and their carers;
  • of volunteers for adapted support;
  • two magnetic induction loops (one in the Seine area, one in the Élysée area) enabling people with hearing aids to hear the sound of the screens;
  • low-vision helmets available on reservation, enabling the visually impaired to enjoy the parade first, then the show on screen.
Find out more

How to get to the opening ceremony

  • Access opens at 5 p.m. for ticketed spectators (Place de la Concorde) or free access without tickets (area at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées, before Place de la Concorde).
Carte descheminements et des points d’accès
Map with routes and access points
Credit Ville de Paris
Public transport access
  • For spectators without tickets, we recommend accessing :
    - the Élysée area via Miromesnil (lines 9 and 13) and Franklin Roosevelt (lines 1 and 9) stations. Avoid Madeleine station;
    - the Seine area via Alma Marceau (line 9), Assemblée nationale (line 12) and Invalides (RER C, lines 8 and 13).
  • For ticketed spectators, we recommend accessing :
    - Concorde zones 1, 1 bis and 4 via Madeleine (lines 8, 12 and 14) ;
    - Concorde zones 2, 2 bis and 3 via Invalides (lines 8 and 13), Assemblée nationale (line 12), Musée d'Orsay (RER C).
  • Three drop-off/pick-up zones for the Île-de-France Mobilités shuttle service or cabs are available for disabled spectators. Find out more about these drop-off zones. The Île-de-France Mobilités accessible shuttle service is open to all wheelchair users, whether they have a paid ticket or not, as well as to disabled people with a Paris 2024 ticket. Book a shuttle on Île-de-France Mobilités. Volunteers will be on hand to accompany visitors arriving by shuttle bus, as well as at each area dedicated to the disabled.
  • On request, volunteers can help disabled spectators acquire a wheelchair for the ceremony if necessary.
Closed metro/RER stations and entrances

Due to the implementation of the security perimeter, several metro and RER stations will be closed, or their accesses in certain cases:
- Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau, Concorde and Tuileries stations closed;
- Franklin Roosevelt station: access to line 9 (station not served) and metro stations on the Champs-Élysées traffic circle closed; access to line 1 and metro stations south and north on the Champs-Élysées at rue de Marignan maintained;
- Musée d'Orsay station kept open, with closure of RER entrances on quai Anatole-France;
- Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre station will remain open, with closure of metro stations within the SILT perimeter.

To get to the opening ceremony by public transport, download the Transport Public Paris 2024 app to find the best route.