The Coolest Venues of the Paris Olympics

There are only a few days left until the 2024 Olympics kick off, and Paris is the perfect city for such an event. The City of Lights is home to incredible buildings and historic sites that attract tourists from all over the world every year. Some of these places have now been refigured to host Olympic events this summer, making for some extremely cool venues being used.

Eiffel Tower: Beach Volleyball

Beach volleyball will be held at the foot of one of the world’s most famous landmarks, the Eiffel Tower. Paris’s most iconic attraction now has a temporary 12,000 capacity outdoor stadium next to it, which promises some beautiful views of the tower during beach volleyball.

Tahiti: Surfing

The surfing competition will take place in Tahiti, an island in the French Polynesia territory in the Pacific Ocean, over 9,000 miles away from Paris. Participants will be surfing the Teahupo’o wave, which is known as “The End of the Road”. Even though the waves are known for being dangerous at times, it is another gorgeous setting for an Olympic event.

Palace of Versailles: Equestrian and Modern Pentathlon

The Palace of Versailles, just outside of Paris, is a stunning destination that is home to centuries worth of French royal history. The palace was deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The former home of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette will now display sporting royalty during the Olympics. The palace will be the site of the most regal Olympic events: dressage, showjumping, eventing, and the modern pentathlon.

Stade de France: Track and Field and Rugby Sevens

The Stade de France has already hosted some of the most special sporting events in France’s history, such as when France won the World Cup in 1998. It will be the main Olympic Stadium during the Games and is where track and field and rugby sevens will be taking place.

Grand Palais: Fencing and Taekwondo

The Grand Palais was built in 1897 for the Universal Exhibition but has remained an important monument for the city’s tourism. It is an exhibition hall and museum complex that has been a venue for countless artistic events. 100 years ago, during the 1924 Paris Olympics, it hosted the art and sport competition, an event which was discontinued after 1948. This year, it will host Olympic events for the second time: the Olympic and Paralympic fencing and taekwondo.

Stade Roland Garros: Tennis and Boxing

Every year, Paris hosts one of four tennis grand slams, Roland Garros/French Open. For the 2024 Olympics, tennis will take place again at Roland Garros on clay courts for the first time since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. There are 18 courts across the complex and two main courts, Court Philippe-Chatrier and Court Simonne-Mathieu. Philippe-Chatrier is also hosting the boxing finals during the second week of the Olympics.