France scales back proposed crowd size for opening ceremonies of Paris Summer Olympics
French officials are scaling back the number of spectators who will be allowed to watch the opening ceremonies of the Paris Summer Olympics.
PARIS — The number of people allowed to watch the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics along the Seine River in Paris will be capped at 325,000, the French government announced Tuesday, apparently confirming that original plans to offer tickets to hundreds of thousands of spectators had been scaled back.
The Interior Ministry said that roughly 100,000 paying spectators will be offered prime viewing spots on the lower part of the riverbanks and that 222,000 more people will be able to see the boat parade from a higher vantage point free of charge.
But that latter group of spectators will be chosen by the government, public authorities or the Olympic organizing committee, according to the ministry. No one without an invitation will be allowed in.
The International Olympic Committee did not immediately reply to an email requesting comment.
Two years ago, organizers had proposed making the July 26 opening festivities accessible to as many as 600,000 people, a grand gathering that would span 6 kilometers (roughly 3.7 miles), stretching from the east of Paris to the Trocadéro.
Rating: 5