PARIS – The head of the Paris Olympics organising committee has defended the ticketing system for the 2024 Games, calling the first phase of sales a “success” on Thursday despite complaints about high prices.

Around 3.25 million tickets have been sold over the last month, around a third of the total, but the release has been overshadowed by criticism of the costs.

“It’s been a success this first phase, even if we understand the criticism and the frustration of some people who were not satisfied,” Tony Estanguet said.

He defended the strategy of offering a limited number of seats – one million – priced at €24 (S$34), with the majority in a middle category of around €100 or lower.

A poll published at the weekend found that around four out of five French people thought that tickets were too expensive.

Part of the problem in the first phase was that fans were obliged to buy tickets for at least three sports, often putting the bill at €300 or more per person, or well over €1,000 for a family of four.

The second phase, with sales starting from May 11, will enable buyers to take single tickets, including for some of the highlights including the opening ceremony and the athletics finals.

“This second phase will be an exceptional opportunity for people to buy experiences that will be probably once in a lifetime,” Estanguet added.

The prices for the hottest tickets are unlikely to mollify critics, however.

Athletics finals will start at €125 and stretch to €980. Beach volleyball finals will cost a minimum of €100, while the basketball finals range from €90 to €980.

Seventy thousand places will go on sale for the hugely ambitious opening ceremony, which will see national sporting delegations sail down the river Seine in an open-air celebration in the heart of the City of Light.

“It will be expensive because it will be unique. It will be very spectacular in this iconic city,” Estanguet said.

The tickets on sale, with a top price of €2,700, will be for seats on the bank of the river, offering an unrestricted view of proceedings.

The Paris organisers say that their pricing is in line with the 2012 London Olympics once inflation is taken into account.

Tokyo 2020 was more expensive, although spectators were eventually banned due to stringent Covid-19 restrictions, while the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro was cheaper, according to their analysis.

The French government has tasked the organisers with making sure the Games are self-financing, making private sponsorship deals and ticketing key sources of revenue in the absence of major public backing. AFP