Marseille is preparing to welcome the Olympic flame, and local authorities intend to make it a marker of Paris 2024. City, region, metropolis and department have not skimped on the means for the festivities of May 8 and 9: 1 .8 million euros were invested. Neither do the sponsors, Coca-Cola in the lead. “We will ensure that Marseille shines, and we will make popular fervor ring out”says Samia Ghali, third deputy to the various left mayor, Benoît Payan.
THE Belem, with the Olympic flame on board, will arrive from Athens on May 8 in Marseille harbor. It will be escorted by nearly 1,000 boats (old rigs, sailboats, motorboats) which will parade at sea. The entry of the three-masted ship into the Old Port will be musically accompanied by the Marseille Philharmonic Orchestra, and the images will be broadcast on large screens placed on the cove – pedestrianized for the occasion – and at the Palais du Pharo.
To keep the public waiting, sporting and cultural events are planned all day long on the quays. A dance show will be given by the company (La)Horde on the island of If. A work by a visual artist will adorn the castle’s lighthouse.
150,000 people expected
The torch bearer will then disembark on a floating platform reproducing an athletics track and opening onto a huge stage. It is on this plateau placed on the water that the concert organized by Coca-Cola will take place. Three hours of music for which the brand is keeping the names of the artists secret, but promises to highlight local figures, notably the rapper Soprano. A fireworks display will end the day. Some 150,000 people are expected by the police headquarters.
On May 9, the bearers of the flame will stroll through the sixteen districts of Marseille, with visits to the symbolic places of the city: starting from Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, it will stop in particular at the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem), with the letters “Marseille” in the northern districts, at the town hall, and ending at the Stade-Vélodrome. It is the rapper Soprano who will then carry the torch to the roof of the stadium.
An aerial parade will follow the procession. A torchlight descent will close the evening. “It’s going to be spectacular. A real popular moment where everyone will participate”, predicts Samia Ghali. To secure the Old Port and the path of the flame, 5,000 members of the police will be mobilized over two days.
Our selection of articles on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Find all our content on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games:
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Bernard Thibault: “For the 2024 Games, our objective is to demonstrate that major events are not incompatible with high social rights
- Athlete preparation
Does France really have the means to shine in the medal rankings?
Volleyball player Lucille Gicquel, Olympic pioneer in a family of champions
Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, swimmer in geopolitical turmoil after passing under the French flag
Athlete “teams”, a win-win agreement between athletes and companies
The last preparation of Nantenin Keïta, between doubts and good humor
Handball player Vincent Gérard leaves from below for one last Olympic adventure
Christo and Toma Junior Popov, two talented brothers competing to represent France in badminton
Ryadh Sallem, “saved twice” by sport
Dorian Coninx, world triathlon champion, swallows the kilometers to avoid staying at the dock
Simone Biles on her way to Paris 2024: “I’m getting old and I have more to lose”
- The question of the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes
Russia and the IOC reignite a cold war in world sport
“All the ingredients come together to replay an episode in the long history of Olympic boycotts”
Thomas Bach, President of the IOC: “The aggressiveness of the Russian government is growing day by day, against the Committee, against the Games, against me”
Football and the Paralympic Games, two ticketing challenges
In search of savings, the organizers of the Games are seeking help from partner communities
- Ongoing legal investigations
Tony Estanguet, the boss of the Games, in his turn in the sights of justice
The “four musketeers” of the organizing committee targeted by the PNF
- The Olympic Torch Relay
Some municipalities are irritated by the requirements and costs linked to hosting the torch relay
The government steps on the accelerator to close the accessibility gap
- Seine-Saint-Denis and the Games
La Courneuve between enthusiasm and concern regarding the transformation of Georges-Valbon Park
The Red Star Rugby of Saint-Ouen deprived of a stadium because of the Games
An island, an eco-friendly mayor and “the chance” to benefit from the Games
- Paris at Games time
As the Games approach, anti-poverty associations fear “social cleansing”
Enthusiastic inauguration for the Adidas Arena, the new venue at Porte de la Chapelle
- The Games are not just Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis
In Martinique and Guadeloupe, Olympic fever rises remotely
West Indian athletes forced to go into exile to shine
The Meuse volunteers, between “pride” and “struggle”
In Polynesia, Teahupoo is delighted to host the 2024 Olympic Games but fears overtourism
- Environmental issues
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How the organizers of the Olympic Games plan to deal with a heatwave this summer
Coca-Cola, sponsor of the Paris 2024 Olympics and still “world champion” of plastic pollution
- The societal issues that the Games highlight
Far from the splendor of the Olympics, the reality of PE lessons in a Montreuil college
At the time of sport, a major national cause, the worrying situation of swimming pools in France
School sport is still looking for the right formula
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