The Olympics

In pictures: Paris in final preparations ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics

Author: Editors Desk Source: France 24

July 24, 2024 at 09:22

French Gendarmes block access to the Louvre Museum, which is closed to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles as a security measure, on July 18, 2024. © Joel Sagat, AFP

Final preparations are under way as the French capital prepares to host the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Streets and bridges are closed, large areas are inaccessible, and security is tight as the city gears up for an unprecedented Opening Ceremony on Friday involving a 6-kilometre (4-mile) floating procession down the River Seine.

Parisians have been experiencing travel delays and detours for weeks related to preparations for the Summer Olympic Games. More areas of the city were shut down on July 18 as restricted "zones" came into force, requiring residents and visitors alike to show a QR code to access certain areas, mainly by the River Seine. A massive security operation is in place to offset any threats, with police patrols visible all over the city.

FRANCE 24 takes a look at what the French capital looks like in the days before the official opening of the Paris Olympics.

A worker at Place du Trocadéro on July 19, 2024. — © Manan Vatsyayana, AFP

A man sets up barricades at Place du Trocadéro ahead of the Summer Games.

Barriers block access to the 'carrousel' roundabout near the Louvre Museum a few days before the opening of the 2024 Olympics. — © Joel Sagat, AFP

The "carrousel" roundabout near the Louvre Museum has been closed to pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles as a security measure for Paris landmarks.

French Gendarmes carry out security checks at barriers near the Louvre Museum on July 18, 2024. — © Joel Sagat, AFP

French Gendarmes carry out security checks at barricades set up near the Louvre.

Grandstands set up for the 2024 Summer Olympics opening ceremony along the River Seine line many of the city's iconic bridges seen on July 17, 2024. — © Emmanuel Dunand, AFP

Temporary seating has been erected on Paris's iconic bridges, many of which have been closed to traffic, for spectators wishing to view the Opening Ceremony procession down the River Seine.

An artist's impression of Paris Olympics' unprecedented opening ceremony, which French authorities fear could be a target for drone attacks. — © Florian Hulleu, AFP/File

An artist's impression of the Paris Olympics' unprecedented Opening Ceremony, which French authorities fear could be the target of drone attacks. A ban on drones flying in Paris airspace is being strictly enforced, with authorities saying an average of six drones are being intercepted each day.

The bridge at Place de la Concorde is closed to traffic on July 18 ahead of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games. — © Stéphane de Sakutin, AFP

The bridge at Place de la Concorde is closed and the metro stops serving the area have been temporarily shut down.

Participants in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games at the Olympic Village in Saint-Denis, northern Paris, on July 22, 2024. — (Michel Euler/POOL/AFP)

Competitors and participants in the Summer Games walk at the Olympic Village that is housing the athletes in Saint-Denis, a suburb just north of Paris.