Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony might be shifted to Stade de France, says France President Emmanuel Macron
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 could be shifted from the River Seine to Stade de France due to security concerns.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed confidence in the security forces that would be deployed for the open-air event but have fallback plans if the need arises.
“If we think there are risks, depending on our analysis of the context, we have fallback scenarios. There are plans B and C and we are preparing them in parallel," Macron was quoted as saying in a television interview on Monday.
Emmanuel Macron’s statement has come on the back of concerns regarding the recent terrorist attack at the Moscow Concert Hall, which led to more than 100 people getting killed. Four attackers barged into a packed Crocus City Hall, where a rock band was due to perform, and opened fire there.
“We’ll be analysing the situation in real-time and preparing a ceremony that would be limited to Trocadéro, where we wouldn’t use the whole of the Seine, or even a ceremony that would bring the public to the Stade de France, which is what has been done traditionally,” Macron said.
“What the terrorists want is to prevent us from dreaming, and that’s their greatest victory," he added.
Paris Olympics 2024 is slated to be the first-ever Olympic event to host an opening ceremony outside a stadium
The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics will see fans witnessing an opening ceremony outside a stadium for the first time in the Olympics' history. A total of 10,500 athletes will be marching through the center of Paris on boats on the Seine along a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route.
Initially, the organizers had planned to invite 6,00,000 people to grace the Paris Olympics 2024 opening ceremony event from the riverbanks free of cost. However, the number has now been limited to 3,00,000 people due to security and logistical concerns.
Besides, the French government has denied free access to tourists to watch the ceremony, because of the same. Free access will be invitation-only instead.