The Olympic flame was lit this Tuesday in the Greek city of Olympia and will travel across Greece for 11 days before reaching the port of Piraeus, south of Athens, where it will board the ship Belem on April 26 bound for Marseille where 150,000 people are expected on May 8 in the Old Port.
“The flame will enter France through the Greek city, Massalia. With this arrival on Belem, there will be exceptional and memorable images,” declared Samia Ghali, deputy mayor of Marseille, during a press conference. presentation of the day of May 8, recalling the founding of Marseille by the Greeks in 600 BC.
The Belem accompanied by 1,024 boats
Before entering the Old Port, the Belem will parade throughout the harbor of Marseille, from Goudes in the South to Estaque in the North. It will be accompanied by 1,024 boats and entertainment is planned on land and at sea all day.
At 7 p.m., Belem will enter the Old Port, greeted by fireworks, music from the Marseille Opera orchestra and “tifos” prepared by groups of supporters of the Marseille club. city football, Olympique de Marseille (OM).
Once the three-masted ship is moored, the first torchbearer to set foot on French soil will disembark from the Belem and run a few dozen meters on a floating athletics track before lighting the Olympic cauldron around 7:45 p.m., in presence in particular of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron.
Concert by Marseille rappers Soprano and Alonzo
“We have calibrated things to accommodate 150,000 people in an area including the Old Port, the end of the Canebière – emblematic artery of the center of Marseille –, the Pharo gardens (dominating the Old Port) or the Place aux Huiles” , also in the center, explained Ms. Ghali. The evening will end with a concert by Marseille rappers Soprano and Alonzo.
On May 9, the Olympic flame will begin its journey in France in Marseille, with visits to the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica or the Stade Vélodrome. It will then cross the entire country, also passing through the Antilles and French Polynesia, to arrive in Paris on the day of the opening ceremony, July 26.