In 2024, the French capital will be hosting the country’s
first-ever Summer Paralympic Games.
Paris 2024 is thinking big and reinventing
the template for opening ceremonies by organising a showstopping celebration
away from the traditional stadium setting in the center of Paris – the eastern
end of the Champs-Élysées and the adjacent Place de la Concorde.
A unique experience in the heart of Paris
The opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games will take
place in a magnificent setting – right in the heart of Paris between Place de
la Concorde and the Champs-Élysées on 28 August 2024.
A total of 4,400 athletes representing 184 delegations from around
the world will take part in a parade from the Champs-Élysées to Place de la
Concorde, which will be accessible to people of all mobility and ability
levels. Similar to the numbers in attendance at traditional, stadium-based
ceremonies, 65,000 people will be able to attend the ceremony.
The Opening Ceremony of a Paralympic
Games will be held outside a stadium for the first time in history at Paris
2024.
@Paris 2024 Florian Hulleu
Place de la Concorde is an iconic square located between the
Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries Gardens, just a stone’s throw from the
National Assembly and the Grand Palais. It is the largest square in Paris,
surrounded by some of the most important buildings and monuments in French
history. Dating back to the Age of Enlightenment, Place de la Concorde forms
part of the philosophical, literary and cultural heritage left behind by
intellectuals referred to as lumières (meaning “lights”), making it an ideal
location to shine a spotlight on the Paralympic movement. La Concorde and the
Champs-Élysées – the most beautiful avenue in the world – will be exquisitely
decorated, providing a breathtaking setting to promote the Paralympic movement
on a world stage.
Place de la Concorde offers a view of the Arc de Triomphe on one side and the Louvre on the other.
@Paris 2024 Florian Hulleu
The opening ceremony will mark the start of innovative Games that
will leave a lasting impression on people and celebrate outstanding sporting
performances. The Paralympic athletes will be given an opportunity to discover
prestigious venues, as the events will be taking place across a range of iconic
French heritage sites. They will start their parade at the bottom of the
Champs-Elysees and arrive at the largest square in Paris, which offers a view
of the city from the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries on the eastern side to
the Arc de Triumph in the west.
Inclusion: A key Games priority
The Athletes' Parade will start on the Champs-Elysees and finish at the Place de la Concorde.
@Paris 2024 Florian Hulleu
“This ceremony in the heart of the city
is a strong reflection of our ambition to take advantage of hosting the first
Paralympic Games in our country and put the issue of the inclusion of people
with disabilities at the heart of society,” said Tony Estanguet, President of
the Paris 2024 Organising Committee.
“From choosing inclusion as a theme for
Olympic and Paralympic Week 2023 to the creation of a Paralympic Day to
spotlight athletes and allow everyone to discover Para sports, this Opening
Ceremony in the heart of Paris is the example of the high level of ambition
that we have for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.”