The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are off to a flying start! The cauldron has finally been lit, and it's not the Eiffel Tower, as the organizers had envisaged for a while, but the Jardin des Tuileries that has welcomed the last few meters of the Olympic flame for the Paris 2024 Games.
The Jardin des Tuileries, the green lung of Paris, is ideally located in the center of the city, between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. The Olympic cauldron will be installed here during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from July 26 to August 11. This decision, revealed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), is the fruit of meticulous negotiations between the Games Organizing Committee (Cojo) and Paris City Hall.
Initially, the "Ariane Project" envisaged installing the cauldron in the square courtyard of the Louvre Museum. However, for reasons of public accessibility, the choice was finally made for the Tuileries, an emblematic and accessible location that will enable us to admire the flame more easily.
The precise location of the cauldron, near the Grand Bassin Rond in the Jardin des Tuileries and opposite the Louvre Pyramid, was not chosen at random. It reflects the organizers' desire to place the Games and their symbols at the center of life in the capital, making the Olympic flame visible to all and contributing to the Olympic fervor that will take hold of Paris.
But this cauldron is a little more than just a cauldron... Previous editions of the Games have seen a variety of practices in terms of where and when the cauldron is lit, leaving suspense hanging over the choices that will be made for Paris 2024. Usually, the lighting of the cauldron is also a classic (or almost classic) affair, topped by the stadiums. Except that here, it's nothing like that: no stadium, the cauldron is actually... A hot-air balloon! A flame that will watch over Parisians every day, from its lofty height.
Security around the cauldron will be guaranteed 24 hours a day, allowing you to enjoy the spectacle in complete peace of mind. Nearby raised walkways will offer a privileged view of the flame, a symbol of peace, unity and fraternity.
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, a fuel-free Olympic Flame will light up the skies over Paris, thanks to EDF, a partner of Paris 2024. During the day, the balloon remains on the ground, but in the evening it rises to a height of 60 meters until 2 a.m. to light up the City of Light.
At the opening ceremony, the cauldron was lit by two bearers, after a handover by numerous Olympic and Paralympic athletes: Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Rinner.
The proximity of the Place de la Concorde, site of the BMX freestyle, breaking, skateboard and 3x3 basketball events, confirms the ambition of these Games to blend into the city's urban and cultural fabric.
This choice of location for the Olympic cauldron is part of a broader vision for the Games, with events and celebrations planned throughout the city, such as the gala dinner at the Louvre, orchestrated by chef Alain Ducasse. Paris 2024 is thus shaping up to be an edition of the Olympic Games where sport, culture and heritage are closely intertwined.
In short, if you're in Paris during the Olympic Games, a trip to the Jardin des Tuileries is a must. In any case, it'll be a unique spectacle set against the backdrop of the Louvre, and it'd be a shame to miss it.
Dates and Opening Time
From July 26, 2024 to August 11, 2024
Location
Tuileries Gardens
Jardin des Tuileries
75001 Paris 1
