Top things to do in July
Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games
"Games wide open!" That's the official slogan of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. Scheduled to begin on July 24 with non-medal competitions, this historic event will see more than 10,000 athletes compete in 329 medal events from July 26 to August 11. The Opening Ceremony will be the first to ever be held in a city centre, with the Eiffel Tower coming alive with gigantic Olympic rings on its façade.
The anticipation is palpable, given the City of Lights' rich Olympic history. The 1900 Paris Olympic Games marked women athletes' first participation in the event. And with this edition, Paris becomes the first host to achieve gender equality in the Games, with 50 percent of the athletes being women.
Over two weeks, there will be 45 sporting events across 35 competition venues in Paris and its neighbouring cities, including Versailles, Le Bourget, Nanterre, Vaires-sur-Marne and Saint-Denis. Climbing, skateboarding and surfing, which all debuted at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, will be among the sports featured, with one new addition – breakdancing. Surfing's second appearance in the Games will be held at Teahupo'o in Tahiti, French Polynesia, making it the farthest medal competition site from the host city in history.
With Paris expecting millions of visitors during the event, the Olympic Committee's goal is to showcase France's iconic offerings. Since winning the bid to host the Games seven years ago, there has been much buzz around the city's infrastructure plans, especially with the 300,000-square-metre 2024 Paris Olympic Village. Popular attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, will remain open during this time, drawing in the crowds, while for those seeking solitude amid the frenzy, a stroll through Jardin des Tuileries or a visit to Parc des Buttes-Chaumont will offer the perfect escape.
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