Paris 2024: Guide to venues at Summer Olympic Games

Some of the football stadiums will bring back painful memories for England fans while hockey will be played at a location which hosted events when the French capital hosted the Games a century ago. Whether steeped in history or newly souped up, here’s where medals will be fought for in the coming weeks… Aquatics Centre (Artistic Swimming, Diving, Water Polo)

One of two permanent facilities to be built for the Games, along with Le Bourget Climbing Wall. Situated in Saint-Denis, it connects to the adjacent Stade de France via a footbridge over the A1 motorway. Made up of 5,000 seats (reducing to 2,500 after the Games), many of which have been made from recycled plastic bottle tops.

Bercy Arena (Gymnastics, Basketball, Trampolining) Opened in 1984, this pyramid-shaped venue hosts the annual Paris Masters tennis tournament and welcomed France’s first UFC bout in 2022. The likes of Celine Dion, Madonna and Daft Punk have graced the stage of one of the city’s premier music venues which this summer will showcase three sports.

Bordeaux Stadium (Football) This eye-catching stadium was built for Euro 2016 and designed by the same architects behind Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’, which hosted the 2008 Games. More recently, the stadium was among the 2023 Rugby World Cup venues while England’s Red Roses sealed their latest Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam at the 42,115-capacity arena.

Champ de Mars Arena (Judo, Wrestling) The 10,000 sqm temporary structure put in place to host events while the Grand Palais underwent Olympic-related construction work will be kept in place to host judo and wrestling. Built in 2021, it is set to be dismantled in late 2024 but could yet be reused at alternative locations.

[embedded content] Chateau de Versailles (Equestrian, Modern Pentathlon) France’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site will be among the more prestigious backdrops to play host.

A temporary outdoor arena has been built to host equestrian and modern pentathlon events at what was the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and remains one of the city’s most popular attractions. Chateauroux Shooting Centre (Shooting) One of the largest shooting venues in Europe, this facility opened in 2018 and will host all the sport’s indoor finals at the Games.

Situated around 265km (nearly three hours) away from Paris, the town is the capital of Indre and has a population just shy of 43,000. Eiffel Tower Stadium (Beach Volleyball) Set to provide some of the more iconic snaps of the Games, beach volleyball will be played in the shadow of the city’s most famous landmark.

A temporary arena has been erected on the Champ de Mars, which featured in the 1985 James Bond film A View To Kill, and will seat 12,000 spectators. Elancourt Hill (Mountain Bike) The highest point in the Paris region at 231m, the summit of Elancourt Hill offers expansive views over the city and will see mountain bikers going for gold.

The vast majority (95 per cent) of the trails used for the Olympic competition are based on existing paths and will remain in use for cyclists after the Games. Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium (Football) Nicknamed ‘The Cauldron’, the home of St Etienne will be recalled by English football fans as the stadium in which David Beckham kicked out at Diego Simeone during the 1998 World Cup.

A familiar penalties exit followed for the Three Lions, who also drew 0-0 with Slovakia at the same venue at Euro 2016. Grand Palais (Fencing, Taekwondo) Re-opening to host the Games following extensive renovation work, which began in 2021, to a 124-year-old exhibition centre with a famous glass roof.

Hosted the 2010 Fencing World Championships and also featured in the final stage of the 2017 Tour de France, with cyclists riding through its main hall. Hotel de Ville (Marathon) Marathon runners will set off from the square in front of Paris’ city hall, the facade of which is 143m wide and nearly 19m high.

Originally built in 1357, the building was reconstructed in the late 19th century after being set alight during the Franco-Prussian War. [embedded content] Invalides (Archery/Athletics/Road Cycling)

Archery medals will be contested in beautiful green space in the heart of the French capital, in view of the imperious Hotel des Invalides. Marathon runners will also finish their 26.2 miles in Les Invalides, a district which houses some of the city’s finest museums and the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. La Beaujoire Stadium (Football)

Home to FC Nantes, this 35,322-capacity arena hosted six matches at France ’98 – including the quarter-final between Brazil and Denmark – as well as four games at last year’s Rugby World Cup. The bronze medal match will be played here, the last of seven the stadium will stage. La Concorde (3×3 Basketball/Breaking/BMX Freestyle/Skateboarding)

The largest square in Paris, in which King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were publicly executed during the French Revolution, is to become a hub for all things urban sport during the Olympics. La Concorde will welcome 30,000 spectators to take in four different sports across almost the duration of the Games. Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue (Climbing)

This purpose-built facility lies around six-and-a-half miles from the centre of Paris and has been built as part of the organising committee’s desire to improve sporting facilities in and around Saint-Denis. Five climbing walls will be used during the Games as the sport makes its second Olympic appearance. Le Golf National (Golf)

Best known as the venue at which Europe regained the Ryder Cup with a resounding 17.5-10.5 victory over USA in 2018. The par-72 course was torn up by Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari on that occasion and the former will hope to improve on his Tokyo showing, if selected for Team GB. Lyon Stadium (Football)

Lyon’s home holds almost 60,000 and hosted Wales’ Euro 2016 semi-final defeat against Portugal, as well as the Lionesses’ 2-1 reverse against USA at the 2019 Women’s World Cup. This summer, it will stage a men’s and women’s last four contest, as well as the women’s bronze medal match. Marseille Marina (Sailing)

Sailors will be battling it out on the Mediterranean. Boats will depart from Marseille’s Roucas-Blanc Marina and its proximity to the city’s beaches is set to allow spectators excellent views of the action unfolding. A combination of seated and standing areas will allow up to 14,000 people to attend.

Marseille Stadium (Football) Better known as Stade Velodrome, this iconic stadium has staged international events dating back to the 1938 World Cup. England’s rugby players have enjoyed memorable days in Marseille, which was the venue for World Cup quarter-final wins over Australia (2007) and Fiji (2023).

Ten football matches will be played here as part of Paris 2024. Nice Stadium (Football) The venue for England’s shock Euro 2016 defeat to Iceland will host six group games across the men’s and women’s competitions.

The National Sports Museum is nearby while Beyonce, The Weeknd and Celine Dion have performed at the stadium in recent years. North Paris Arena (Boxing/Modern Pentathlon) Villepinte Exhibition Centre, the largest facility of its kind in France, is being transformed into a temporary arena to host boxing preliminary rounds and the fencing stage of the modern pentathlon.

Opened in 1982, it is just one metro stop away from the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Parc des Princes (Football) The home of PSG will stage both the men’s and women’s gold medal matches among its 10 contests overall.

Leeds, Liverpool and Arsenal have all played European finals at the Parc des Princes, which was also the venue for Wales beating Northern Ireland at Euro 2016. Paris La Defense Arena (Swimming/Water Polo) This remarkable multi-purpose venue is usually home to rugby club Racing 92 and will welcome Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in the run-up to the Games.

Come July and August, however, all focus will be on swimming and water polo, with a movable stand enabling the venue to host a variety of indoor sports. Pierre Mauroy Stadium (Football) Home of French giants Lille and the backdrop to Hal Robson-Kanu’s famous strike for Wales against Belgium, Stade Pierre-Mauroy has also hosted Davis Cup tennis, European Basketball Championships and World Handball Championships.

Both basketball (group stage) and handball (finals) will return to northern France on the Olympic stage. Pont Alexandre III (Road Cycling/Triathlon/Marathon Swimming) The unmissable bridge spanning the banks of the Seine will provide a glorious backdrop to the closing stages of cycling time trials, along with the triathlon and marathon swimming.

Four bronze statues look over the bridge but those crossing it this summer will hope to leave with gold. The Porte de la Chapelle Arena (Badminton/Rhythmic Gymnastics) Opened earlier this year, the 8,000-capacity arena is home to Paris Basketball and was built with the aim of offering a wide variety of sports to local residents.

Originally intended to host wrestling and basketball, it will instead be badminton and rhythmic gymnastics taking place inside the state-of-the-art facility. Stade Roland-Garros (Tennis/Boxing) The home of the French Open is the natural home for the tennis competition but will also host the final rounds of boxing.

Eighteen clay courts are part of the historic complex, which Rafael Nadal has made his own over the past two decades with 14 French Open titles. Did you know? Roland-Garros is hosting Olympic tennis… and boxing too! ??

Here’s all you need to know about one of the most iconic Paris 2024 venues.#Paris2024 @Paris2024 @RolandGarros @itftennis pic.twitter.com/NIewHT87EH[1][2][3][4][5]

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 17, 2024[6]

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium (BMX) The BMX competitions will take place just five minutes from the velodrome, making Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines a must-visit destination for cycling fans. This is a fully covered venue which is open to the public and will continue to be so after the Games, ensuring those inspired by the Olympians’ exploits can bid to follow in their footsteps.

Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome (Track Cycling) The home of French track cycling since 2014 has hosted World and European Championships over the last decade. Katie Archibald returns with fond memories having won two golds at the 2016 Euros around this track, while the facility’s vast size also allows it to host various other French sports teams.

South Paris Arena (Handball/Table Tennis/Volleyball/Weightlifting) Part of the bustling Paris Expo conference and exhibition centre, which welcomes 7.5m visitors annually, South Paris Arena will be busy throughout the Games. Four sports will take place here, with medals to be fought for in all except handball, which moves to Lille for its finals.

Stade de France (Athletics/Rugby Sevens) The home of French football and rugby has been undergoing renovation work ahead of Paris 2024, with a fresh purple track being laid around the perimeter for its athletics events. Rugby sevens will also take place at the showpiece venue, which will seat 74,000, along with the closing ceremony.

Teahupo’o, Tahiti (Surfing) Situated 9,765 miles away from Paris, the French Polynesian island of Tahiti will host surfing’s return to the Olympics following its debut at Tokyo 2020. A popular spot on the sport’s championship tour and home to notorious waves, Teahupo’o will be home to one of the most intriguing parts of the summer calendar.

Trocadero (Athletics/Road Cycling) The area directly facing the Eiffel Tower will become a valuable viewing point for spectators of the triathlon, cycling time trials, marathon and race walking events. The Pont d’Iena bridge is to be fitted with overlay facilities for fans, who will be able to take in the stunning cityscape as well as the Olympic action.

Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium (Rowing/Canoe Sprint/Canoe Slalom) The first of the newly-developed Olympic facilities to be completed back in 2019, the complex contains a rowing lake and white water stadium for canoeing events. It is situated around 40km from the centre of Paris on the way to Disneyland and is the only venue of its kind in Europe.

Yves-du-Manoir Stadium (Hockey) The only venue on this list to have been a host at two Olympics, having been the main stadium when Paris welcomed the Games in 1924. A century on, the 15,000-capacity stadium in the district of Colombes will host hockey, while football and rugby pitches are due to be added after the Games in a bid to cement its legacy.

Talk about using existing venues, as per the #OlympicAgenda[7].?The Yves-Du-Manoir Stadium was the main arena at Paris 1924!

It will become the only venue in ?? to host events from 2 separate Games, staging hockey at #Paris2024.? https://t.co/mskvp9MCSg pic.twitter.com/4okOM58sWO[8][9][10]

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 5, 2024[11]

Watch every moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live only on discovery+[12], the streaming home of the Olympics.

References

1. ^ #Paris2024 (twitter.com)
2. ^ @Paris2024 (twitter.com)
3. ^ @RolandGarros (twitter.com)
4. ^ @itftennis (twitter.com)
5. ^ pic.twitter.com/NIewHT87EH (t.co)
6. ^ July 17, 2024 (twitter.com)
7. ^ #OlympicAgenda (twitter.com)
8. ^ #Paris2024 (twitter.com)
9. ^ https://t.co/mskvp9MCSg (t.co)
10. ^ pic.twitter.com/4okOM58sWO (t.co)
11. ^ July 5, 2024 (twitter.com)
12. ^ discovery+ (get.discoveryplus.com)