Paris Olympics 2024: Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Competition DatesParis Olympics 2024: Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Competition Dates Opening Ceremony: * Date: Friday, July 26, 2024 * Time (U.S. Central Time): 12:30 p.m. Competition Start Date: * Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 * Events: Men’s football, rugby sevens Competition End Date: * Date: Sunday, August 11, 2024 * Events: Basketball, handball, volleyball, water polo, marathon, cycling Closing Ceremony: * Date: Sunday, August 11, 2024 * Time (U.S. Central Time): 2:00 p.m. Additional Details: * The opening ceremony will feature an athletes’ parade along the Seine, culminating at the Trocadéro with the torch lighting. * Competition will occur in various sports throughout Paris and other French cities. * Football and rugby matches will begin before the opening ceremony, on July 24 and 25. * Handball will also be played on July 25. * The torch will be extinguished and the Olympic flag handed over to Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympics, at the closing ceremony.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are just around the corner and thousands of the world’s best athletes will descend on Western Europe for the first large-scale Olympic Games since the start of the COVID pandemic.
Whether fans are watching to see if Simone Biles can regain her spot as the world’s best gymnast or if Katie Ledecky can swim laps again, there are plenty of storylines to follow from Paris in the coming weeks.
But when will the Paris Games officially start in 2024? Here’s what you need to know.
When is the opening ceremony?
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday 26 July throughout Paris. The athletes’ parade will run along the Seine and will conclude at the Trocadéro, where the torch is traditionally lit and other ceremonial events will take place.
The ceremony will take place Friday morning in the United States. The river parade will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. (central time).
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When does the competition actually start?
While the Opening Ceremony marks the unofficial kick-off of the Olympic Games, the competition doesn’t actually begin until Wednesday, July 24. Men’s football will take center stage on that first day, with the United States taking on host nation France at Marseille Stadium as part of a jam-packed first day of competition on the pitch.
According to the Olympic program, the rugby sevens tournament will also start on that Wednesday.
On Thursday 25 July, football and rugby matches will be played again and the day before the opening ceremony in Paris, handball will also be played.
When is the closing ceremony?
The final day of competition will take place on Sunday 11 August. The gold medals will be contested in basketball, handball, volleyball and water polo. The marathon and cycling competitions will also take place on the final day of competition.
The closing ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. (central time), with the torch being extinguished and the Olympic flag being handed over to officials from Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Olympic Games.
A full schedule of events can be found at NBCOlympics. Coverage of the Olympics will be broadcast on the NBC networks.
