The high price to watch the Paris Olympic opening ceremony on the Seine has raised eyebrows with some claiming it debunks President Macron’s early promise that the Paris Olympics will be a “People’s Games”.
The cheapest seat for the opening pageant in July next year will cost 2700 euros ($4396).
About 450,000 and 150 craft will be able to view the waterborne parade, down from an initial figure touted by organisers of 650,000.
Alexis Corbiere, an MP for the Unbowed France party, said the cost of the cheapest opening parade ticket was more than double the French monthly minimum wage.
“For these 2024 Games, the important thing is not to take part but to be one of the richest people on this planet,” he tweeted.
Games tickets were released in two tranches with 3.25 million tickets sold in February and March and a further 1.5 million tickets made available last week. Four million people had signed up for the latest round, resulting in the cheapest tickets going almost immediately.
Sports Minister Amelie Oudea Castera said the ticket prices were not unusual for such a major event.
“The Olympic Games are every four years and ours are the usual prices,” she said.
“We don’t ask ourselves these questions when we pay to go see a Madonna show.”
