Paris 2024 Venue Guide: Île-de-France region
Twelve Games venues are located in the ÎIe-de-France (the area surrounding Paris). Seine-Saint-Denis is home to the Olympic village, where most athletes will live during the Games.
Yves-du-Manoir Stadium
Yves-du-Manoir Stadium holds special significance as the only venue in France to host the Olympic Games for the second time. A century ago, the Paris 1924 Opening Ceremony, as well as the athletics events, took place at this site. Over the last 100 years, Yves-du-Manoir Stadium has hosted approximately 250 athletics, rugby, football, and boxing championships. For Paris 2024, the venue is home to the men’s and women’s field hockey tournaments.
Paris La Défense Arena
Paris La Défense Arena is a high-tech facility that opened in 2017 and is home to the Racing 92 rugby club. The arena boasts the world’s largest interactive giant screen, with a display area the equivalent of seven tennis courts. During the Games, the arena is hosting swimming events for the first time thanks to the venue’s modular structure, designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc. The facility is home to all of the swimming events, as well as the finals of the men’s and women’s water polo tournaments.
North Paris Arena
The Villepinte Exhibition Centre was turned into a modular sporting facility called the “North Paris Arena” for the duration of the Games. The exhibition centre is the largest of its kind in France (beating out the Paris Expo centre at Porte de Versailles). The venue is hosting the preliminary rounds of boxing, as well as the fencing ranking round for the modern pentathlon.
Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue
Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue is one of the only permanent sporting facilities (along with the Olympic Aquatics Centre) built for Paris 2024. The facility features five climbing walls, one indoor and four outdoor (one for warm up, three for competition). The indoor facilities will remain as a legacy venue in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, which is underserved with regard to sport facility access.
Stade de France
The Stade de France, built in 1998 for the FIFA World Cup, is France’s largest stadium, seating just over 77,000 spectators. Since then it has played host to almost every major sporting event in France, including the 2003 World Athletics Championships, 2007 Rugby World Cup, Euro 2016 Championship and 2023 Rugby World Cup. For Paris 2024, the Stade de France is hosting the athletics events, as well as rugby sevens.
Aquatics Centre
The Aquatics Centre is one of the only permanent sporting facilities (along with Le Bourget Sport Climbing Venue) constructed for Paris 2024. The location of the centre was strategically chosen so that it will serve as a legacy venue within an underserved area post-Games. The centre was designed and built with sustainability in mind–the 5,000 square metre roof is covered with solar panels (which will supply all of the energy that the centre needs) and the interior is made of recycled materials. During the Games, the Aquatics Centre is the venue for artistic swimming, diving, and water polo preliminaries.
Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
The Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium was built in 2019. After Sydney and Beijing, it is one of three facilities in the world that has the capability to host all the Olympic canoe/kayak and rowing events in one place.The facility is now home to the French Rowing and Canoe Kayak Federations.
Château de Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is one of France’s most recognizable historic sites, drawing millions of tourists every year. The site was home to the court of Louis XIV in 1682 and became a symbol of French royalty. In 1883 it became a national museum and in 1979 the Palace of Versailles was designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site. During the Games, athletes and spectators of equestrian events and the modern pentathlon will experience this iconic place in a completely new way.
Elancourt Hill
At an altitude of 231m, Elancourt Hill is the highest point within the Paris Region. Elancourt is an artificial hill built on the site of former sandstone quarries. The quarries closed in the mid 19th century and the site became a landfill until 1975. During the 1980s, a restoration was undertaken to turn the site into a public park. During the Games, Elancourt Hill is hosting the Olympic mountain bike events. To minimize impact on biodiversity, no major infrastructure was built on the site and all trails are based on pre-existing paths. The trails will be maintained as a legacy for riders after the Games.
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
The Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome is home to the French Cycling Federation. Built in 2014, it recently hosted the 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. During Paris 2024, the venue is hosting the track cycling events.
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium
The BMX Stadium was built specifically for Paris 2024 and is located within the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome complex, allowing for BMX and track cycling events to be viewed at one site.
Le Golf National
The National Golf site includes a seven-hole beginner course and two 18-hole courses, one of which is the difficult championship course with the nickname “L’Albatros” (“The Albatross”). Golf National was designed in 1991 and took three years to complete. “L’Albatros” hosts the French Open each year, as well as other international events, such as the 2018 Ryder Cup. During the Games, the site is hosting both the men’s and women’s golf tournaments.