Paris 2024: When does it start and what to look out for at this year's Olympic games

Paris will become the second city after London to host the Olympics three different times Credit: Paris 2024 / Isabelle Harsin

Words by Mark Mehta, ITV News Deputy Content Editor

With just under two weeks until the Summer Olympics kicks off, attention is turning towards Paris and what kind of games France will deliver.

This year will be the third time Paris has hosted the Olympics, with the games previously coming to the French capital in 1900 and 1924.

But with ongoing political chaos in the country and a pollution scandal in the River Seine, France's ability to host the games has come under scrutiny.

Here is everything you need to know for about Paris 2024.

When will the Games take place?

The Paris Olympics starts with the Opening Ceremony on Friday July 26. It concludes on Sunday August 11.

The Paralympic Games will take place from Wednesday August 28 until Sunday September 6.

For the first time ever, the Olympic Opening Ceremony will take place outside of a stadium Credit: Paris 2024

The Opening Ceremony

For the first time ever, this year's Opening Ceremony will not take place in a stadium and instead will be held in the heart of the Paris along the River Seine. Organisers are promising it will be the "largest in Games history".

The celebrations will kick off at exactly 8.24pm - or 20:24 if you have a 24 hour clock - in a nod to this year.

Around 10,500 athletes will travel six kilometers along the Seine in around 94 boats.

In a major first, most fans won't need need to buy a ticket to watch most of the ceremony.

There is space for 300,000 spectators, with 100,000 of them being paying ticket holders. The rest will be free tickets, which are allocated by invitation only.

1.5 billion people are also expected to watch the ceremony on television around the world.

How to buy tickets

Many tickets for Paris 2024 events have already been sold via ballots, but there are still some tickets available.

The official website says that new tickets are made available every Thursday at 10am for a variety of different sports.

Depending on the event, you will be able to purchase a maximum of four, six or 20 tickets.

Pollution

Concerns have been raised over the levels of pollution in the River Seine, which runs through Paris.

As well as the Opening Ceremony, the famous river is set to host two Olympic events - the triathlon and open water swimming.

The River Seine is due to host the Opening Ceremony as well as two sporting events. Credit: AP

As early as last month, the levels of E.coli bacteria in the river were deemed to be above acceptable limits for safe swimming.

However on Friday, officials said pollution had returned to acceptable levels in recent weeks and that they were "not worried" about events being held in the river.

On Saturday, France's sports minister posted a video of herself swimming in the river in an attempt to allay fears of pollution levels.

President Emmanuel Macron as well as the mayor of Paris have also promised to take a dip in the river, although a date has not yet been confirmed.

France's sports minister swam in the Seine on Saturday, hoping to show the river is clean enough for Olympic events.

Political chaos

France has been in the midst of political turmoil, since President Macron announced snap parliamentary elections on June 10.

After the far-right National Rally won the first round of voting, the unexpected winners turned out to be the left-wing coalition the New Popular Front (NFP).

Macron's centrist grouping Ensemble came second, but with its reputation severely bruised.

Emmanuel Macron's sought to counter 'false information' about the case. Credit: AP

Ensemble Prime Minister Gabriel Attal then offered his resignation to President Macron, who turned it down for “the stability” of the country.

One major French union has called for mass demonstrations and possible strikes over the Olympics, to pressure Macron into allowing the NFP to form the next government.

The episode has left French politics in chaos and is casting a long shadow over the country - just at a time when it wants to project strength and stability during the Olympics.

Great expectations

UK Sport has confirmed its official medal expectations for Team GB in the upcoming games. Across all sports, it's hoped that athletes can achieve between 50 and 70 medals.

Team GB have consistently won more than 50 medals in recent years, with totals of 51 (Beijing 2008), 65 (London 2012), 67 (Rio 2016) and 64 (Tokyo 2020) medals.

Members of Team GB at St Pancras Station in London, as they depart for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Credit: PA

Dr Kate Baker, UK Sport Director of Performance said: “We want to continue our streak of top five Olympic medal table finishes, but that won’t be easy.

“A compressed three-year cycle has also presented plenty of challenges but the coaches and support staff working in the National Governing Bodies have wrapped incredible support around their athletes and they deserve huge credit as the unsung heroes of Olympic and Paralympic sport.”

Team GB athletes to look out for

327 athletes are set to compete for Team GB this summer, across 24 sports. For the second Olympics in a row, there will be more women competing for Great Britain than men, with 174 women to 153 men.

Here are some of the contenders who are going for gold.

Max Whitlock - gymnast

Max Whitlock celebrates winning gold in the pommel horse at the Tokyo Olympics Credit: PA

In April, the three time Olympic gold medalist announced he would retire from gymnastics after the Paris games.

The 31-year-old is Britain's most successful gymnast ever, retaining his pommel horse gold medal at the Tokyo games in 2021.

Whitlock has previously opened up about his mental health struggles, telling Olympics.com how he would feel "completely lost, just struggling constantly.”

If he achieves another medal on the pommel horse this summer, he will become the first ever gymnast to win four medals on the same apparatus.

Dina Asher-Smith - sprinter

Dina Asher-Smith has previously won bronze in the 4x100m relay at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Despite being a World Championship gold medalist, the sprinter has never managed to win gold at the Olympics.

But the 28-year-old is in good form, having won 100m European Championship gold in June.

The Londoner is hoping to become the first British woman to win gold in either the 100m or 200m sprint.

Kimberley Woods - canoe slalom

Kimberley Woods competes in the women's canoe slalom at the Tokyo Olympics.

The world champion canoeist is hoping to win two medals in Paris, one in K1 (Kayak) and another in Kayak Cross.

Woods has opened up about how she has suffered from bullying, depression and self-harm in the past.

The 28-year-old is a passionate campaigner about mental health awareness, telling ITV News earlier this month that "opening up about mental health was the best thing I've done".

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