Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in France from July 26 to September 8, 2024. The swimming events, water polo tournament finals and para-swimming events will take place at Paris La Défense Arena. Questions about the events, dates or security perimeters? Find all the important information here.

1- Which Olympic and Paralympic events will be held at Paris La Défense?

The swimming, water polo and para-swimming events will be held at the Paris La Défense Arena:

Paris 2024 swimming events will take place at Paris La Défense Arena from July 27, 2024 to August 4, 2024.
The finals of the Paris 2024 water polo tournaments will be held at the Paris La Défense Arena from August 5 to 11, 2024.
Paris 2024 para-swimming events will take place at Paris La Défense Arena from August 29, 2024 to September 7, 2024.

Dates and times of the events are available at the end of this FAQ.

2- What is the route of the Olympic flame that will pass through Paris La Défense on July 24, 2024?

On July 24, 2024, the Olympic flame will leave the Gabriel Péri stadium in Nanterre, pass through the Parc Nord district and the André Malraux park, the terraces of Nanterre before reaching Paris La Défense Arena to end its journey at La Grande Arche de La Défense.

The route will be punctuated by events and entertainment.

3- Are there any specific telecommuting measures planned for Paris La Défense?

There are no telecommuting measures specific to the La Défense business district.

4- Will there be a security perimeter at Paris La Défense during the Olympic Games?

Map of security perimeters in Nanterre

Legend :

Red perimeter: motorized traffic prohibited
Blue perimeter: motorized traffic restricted
Black perimeter : SILT (Internal security and fight against terrorism)
Gray perimeter: organizer (Paris 2024) within the Paris La Défense Arena Olympic site.

Regulated motorized traffic perimeter (blue) The blue perimeter aims to reduce the flow of motorized traffic. Pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to circulate freely, with no controls and no need for a permit. Motorized traffic is restricted to drivers whose situation requires them to travel within this zone. This area will be subject to random checks. No proof of movement will be required within this perimeter.ulation motorisée Périmètre bleu : circulation motorisée réglementée Périmètre noir : SILT (Sécurité intérieure et lutte contre le terrorisme) Périmètre gris : organisateur (Paris 2024) dans l’enceinte du site olympique Paris La Défense Arena.

The regulated motorized traffic perimeter (blue) The blue perimeter is designed to reduce the flow of motorized traffic. Pedestrians and cyclists can circulate freely, without any controls or need for a permit. Motorized traffic is restricted to drivers whose situation requires them to travel within this zone. This area will be subject to random checks. No proof of movement will be required within this perimeter.

The no-motorized traffic perimeter (red) The red perimeter is designed to smooth the flow of traffic entering and leaving the competition site. Pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to circulate freely, without controls or justification. Motorized traffic is prohibited, except for authorized persons with a special dispensation (e.g.: deliveries for shops and businesses within the perimeter, cabs and VTCs dropping off or picking up a passenger with proof of a hotel reservation, etc.).

The SILT perimeter (black) and the competition site (grey). The SILT perimeter allows access to the organizer's perimeter (competition site) via certain entry points. The SILT perimeter is a standard security arrangement put in place by the Préfecture de Police for major events. Access is strictly reserved for Paris 2024-accredited vehicles and pedestrians holding a ticket for the event in progress. Only emergency services and sentry vehicles are authorized to enter the SILT perimeter. Bicycles will not be allowed to enter the SILT perimeter, which is reserved for ticketed pedestrians. A temporary bicycle parking area is planned near the CNIT (place Carpeaux).

5- Will there be any special measures for cycling during the Olympic Games?

For the Olympic Games, Paris La Défense is opening new cycle paths under the La Défense esplanade, accessible from the Neuilly and Paris bridges. They will provide access to Place Carpeaux (a square near the Cnit and the statue of Caesar's Thumb), where temporary bicycle parking areas will be set up and operated by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Organizing Committee.

This temporary parking area will offer 800 bicycle parking spaces and also a 200-space ephemeral Vélib' station built by the Métropole du Grand Paris.

La Défense bicycle access map

6- Will there be any traffic restrictions during the Olympic Games?

Olympic lanes (one lane per road) will be reserved for the transport of accredited persons (athletes, Olympic delegations...), as well as for emergency and security vehicles, cabs, ambulances and public transport. These lanes will be activated from July 15, 2024 to August 13, 2024 and from August 22, 2024 to September 11, 2024.

7- Can I leave my car at Paris La Défense and take public transport to the Olympic venues in the Paris region?

Q-Park Paris La Défense parking lots are accessible from the main roads (A14/A86), making it easy to reach the Paris La Défense Arena Olympic site on foot. Likewise, all the parking lots are close to public transport, making it easy to reach the sites in central Paris.

The Paris La Défense parking lots have more than 10,000 spaces available during the summer, which can be reserved now. Over 200 public charging points will be available this summer to recharge electric vehicles during the events.

To reach the Paris La Défense Arena, we recommend the Westfield Les 4 Temps P1/P2 shopping center parking lot, an 8-minute walk away.

Two other parking lots, Coupole-Regnault and Villon, are both about 10 minutes' walk from the Olympic site.

To find out more about Paris La Défense parking lots

To get to Paris, we recommend the parking lots near the La Défense Grande Arche station: parking Centre commercial P1/P2, parking Centre or parking Coupole Regnault. Thanks to the RER A and metro line 1, you can reach the Olympic venues in less than 30 minutes (Invalides, Grand Palais, Trocadéro, Arena Bercy, Hôtel de Ville, La Concorde, etc.).

Find out all the information, available spaces, rates and public transport itineraries from the 5 Q-Park Paris la Défense parking lots

8- Will there be any impact on delivery and logistics services during the Olympic Games?

No traffic restrictions are planned outside the security perimeters around the Paris La Défense Arena Olympic site (see question 4, security perimeters).

9- Will public transport services be stepped up during the Olympic Games?

The opening of two new RER E stations (La Défense Grande Arche station (located under the Cnit) and Nanterre-La-Folie station) is expected in the coming weeks.

10- Are there any specific security measures in place during the games at Paris La Défense?

There will be no special measures or restrictions outside the security perimeters (see question 4, security perimeters).

11- Will the business district be particularly busy?

Each Olympic event held at the Paris La Défense Arena can attract up to 14,500 spectators. With up to 40,000 spectators for certain concerts or events, the district's infrastructure and pathways are adapted to absorb the flows generated by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Moreover, the Olympic Games take place in the summer, a period when activity in the business district is much quieter due to the summer vacations.

To facilitate traffic flow, Paris 2024 volunteers will be deployed on site to guide and direct spectators.

12- How will you keep companies informed in real time about events and security measures during the Olympic Games?

To keep abreast of any important information relating to the business district (security, major events, etc.), two X accounts should be used:

Paris La Défense (@ParisLaDefense);
Préfecture des Hauts-de-Seine (@Prefet92).

It's also a good idea to subscribe to the Paris La Défense newsletter.

13- What sites and contacts are useful during the Games?

The Olympic Games website and its FAQ;

The government's website for anticipating the impact of the Olympics.

14- What hotels are available in the area?

Paris La Défense has over 3,000 hotel rooms and nearly 20 hotels in various categories.

Discover Paris La Défense hotels

15- What events will take place at Paris La Défense Arena during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Swimming

Saturday, July 27

100 m butterfly - women, heats (11:00)
400 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
100 m breaststroke - men, heats (11:00)
400 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
4x100 m freestyle relay - women, heats (11:00)
4x100 m freestyle relay - men, heats (11:00)
100 m butterfly - women, 1/2 finals (20:30)
400 m freestyle - men, final (20:42)
400 m freestyle - women, final (20:55)
100 m breaststroke - men, 1/2 finals (21:15)
4x100 m freestyle relay - women, final (21:37)
4x100 m freestyle relay - men, final (21:50)

Sunday, July 28

200 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
400 m individual medley - men, heats (11:00)
100 m breaststroke - women, heats (11:00)
100 m backstroke - men, heats (11:00)
200 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
400 m individual medley - men, final (20:30)
100 m butterfly - women, final (20:45)
200 m freestyle - men, 1/2 finals (20:51)
100 m breaststroke - women, 1/2 finals (21:15)
100 m backstroke - men, 1/2 finals (21:37)
100 m breaststroke - men, final (21:54)
200 m freestyle - women, 1/2 finals (22:00)

Monday, July 29

400 m individual medley - women, heats (11:00)
100 m backstroke - women, heats (11:00)
800 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
400 m individual medley - women, final (20:30)
200 m freestyle - men, final (20:43)
100 m backstroke - women, 1/2 final (21:00)
100 m backstroke - men, final (21:22)
100 m breaststroke - women, final (21:32)
200 m freestyle - women, final (21:48)

Tuesday, July 30

200 m butterfly - men, heats (11:00)
100 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
1500 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
100 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
200 m breaststroke - men, heats (11:00)
4x200 m freestyle relay - men, heats (11:00)
100 m freestyle - men, 1/2 finals (20:30)
200 m butterfly - men, 1/2 finals (20:41)
100 m backstroke - women, final (20:57)
800 m freestyle - men, final (21:03)
100 m freestyle - women, 1/2 finals (21:25)
200 m breaststroke - men, 1/2 finals (21:46)
4x200 m freestyle relay - men, final (21:59)

Wednesday, July 31st

200 m breaststroke - women, heats (11:00)
200 m backstroke - men, heats (11:00)
200 m butterfly - women, heats (11:00)
100 m freestyle - women, final (20:30)
200 m butterfly - men, final (20:36)
200 m butterfly - women, 1/2 finals (20:42)
1500 m freestyle - women, final (21:04)
200 m backstroke - men, 1/2 finals (21:34)
200 m breaststroke - women, 1/2 finals (21:46)
200 m breaststroke - men, final (22:08)
100 m freestyle - men, final (22:15)

Thursday August 01

200 m backstroke - women, heats (11:00)
50 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
200 m individual medley - men, heats (11:00)
4x200 m freestyle relay - women, heats (11:00)
200 m butterfly - women, final (20:30)
200 m backstroke - men, final (20:37)
50 m freestyle - men, 1/2 finals (20:44)
200 m breaststroke - women, final (21:03)
200 m backstroke - women, 1/2 finals (21:10)
200 m medley - men, 1/2 finals (21:34)
4x200 m freestyle relay - women, final (21:48)

Friday, August 02

100 m butterfly - men, heats (11:00)
200 m individual medley - women, heats (11:00)
800 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
Mixed 4x100 m medley relay, heats (11:00)
50 m freestyle - men, final (20:30)
200 m backstroke - women, final (20:39)
200 m individual medley - men, final (20:49)
100 m butterfly - men, 1/2 finals (21:09)
200 m individual medley - women, 1/2 finals (21:34)

Saturday August 03

50 m freestyle - women, heats (11:00)
1500 m freestyle - men, heats (11:00)
4x100 m medley relay - men, heats (11:00)
4x100 m medley relay - women, heats (11:00)
100 m butterfly - men, final (20:30)
50 m freestyle - women, 1/2 finals (20:39)
200 m individual medley - women, final (20:59)
800 m freestyle - women, final (21:09)
4x100 m 4-swim mixed relay, final (21:33)

Sunday August 04

50 m freestyle - women, final (18:30)
1500 m freestyle - men, final (18:36)
4x100 m medley relay - men, final (19:12)
4x100 m medley relay - women, final (19:35)

Water polo

Monday, August 5th

Men, preliminary round - group B - Hungary-Serbia (12:00)
Men, preliminary round - group B - Australia-Japan (13:35)
Men, preliminary round - group A - Greece-Italy (15:10)
Men, preliminary round - group A - Croatia-United States (18:30)
Men, preliminary round - group B - France-Spain (20:05)
Men, preliminary round - group A - Romania-Montenegro (21:40)

Tuesday, August 6

Women's quarter-final (14:00)
Women, quarter-final (15:35)
Women's quarter-final (19:00)
Women's quarter-final (20:35)

Wednesday, August 7th

Men's quarter-final (14:00)
Men's quarter-final (15:35)
Men's quarter-final (19:00)
Men's quarter-final (20:35)

Thursday, August 8th

Women, 5th-8th place (13:00)
Women's semi-final (14:35)
Women, ranking 5th-8th (18:00)
Women's semi-final (19:35)

Friday, August 9th

Men, ranking 5th-8th (13:00)
Men, semi-final (14:35)
Men, ranking 5th-8th (18:00)
Men, semi-final (19:35)

Saturday, August 10th

Women, ranking 7th-8th (09:00)
Women, bronze medal (10:35)
Women, ranking 5th-6th (14:00)
Women, gold medal (15:35)
Men, ranking 7th-8th (19:35)

Sunday, August 11th

Men, ranking 5th-6th (09:00)
Men, bronze medal (10:35)
Men, gold medal (14:00)

Para swimming

From August 29, 2024 to September 7, 2024

50 m freestyle S4, S10, S11, S13 (women-men)
50 m freestyle S6, S8 (women)
50 m freestyle S3, S5, S7, S9 (men)
100 m freestyle S3, S7, S9, S11 (women)
100 m freestyle S4, S6, S8 (men)
100 m freestyle S5, S10, S12 (women-men)
200 m freestyle S2, S3, S4 (men)
200 m freestyle S5, S14 (women-men)
400 m freestyle S10 (women)
400 m freestyle S6, S7, S8, S9, S11, S13 (women-men)
50 m backstroke S2, S3, S4, S5 (women-men)
50 m backstroke S1 (men)
100 m backstroke S2, S6, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14 (women-men)
100 m backstroke S1, S7 (men)
50 m breaststroke SB3 (women-men)
50 m breaststroke SB2 (men)
100 m breaststroke SB4, SB5, SB6, SB8, SB9, SB11, SB13, SB14 (women-men)
100 m breaststroke SB3 (men)
100 m breaststroke SB7, SB12 (women)
50 m butterfly S5, S6, S7 (women-men)
100 m butterfly S8, S9, S10, S13, S14 (women-men)
100 m butterfly S11, S12 (men)
150 m individual medley SM3 (men)
150 m individual medley SM4 (women-men)
200 m individual medley SM6, SM7, SM8, SM9, SM10, SM11, SM13, SM14 (women-men)
200 m individual medley SM5 (women)

This FAQ was updated on 12/04/2024