All you need to know about the Paris Olympics 2024

The Summer Olympics start July 26. Here’s Al Jazeera’s concise viewer guide to the world’s largest multisport event.

Paris is gearing up to host the Summer Olympics this year.

The Olympics take place every four years, and the last games in Tokyo were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held largely without spectators.

From venues to sporting events, here is all to know about the much-anticipated Paris Olympics 2024:

When are the Paris Olympics?

• The Olympic games this year will run from July 26 to August 11.
• Some sports will begin before the official opening ceremony, including football and rugby sevens which start on July 24, and archery and handball, which begin on July 25.
• Overall, the multisport event will take place over a 19-day period.

What time is the Olympics opening ceremony?

The opening ceremony is on Friday, July 26 at 7:30pm local time (17:30 GMT).

How many athletes are competing in the Olympics?

A total of 10,500 athletes representing 206 countries are competing in this year’s Olympics.

What sports are in the Olympics 2024?

Athletes will be competing for 329 gold medals across 32 sports.

Where to find the schedule and results for the Olympics 2024?

An overview of the Paris Olympics schedule and results can be found on a dedicated page on the official Olympics website.

What are the Olympic venues?

• The games will open on July 26 at the Seine, where dozens of boats will carry athletes across a 6km (3.7-mile) route in the river.
• The Olympic Games will take place in 35 venues overall.
• While most of these venues are in or around Paris, a handful of games will take place in venues in other cities including Lyon Stadium, where some football games will take place, and the Marseille Marina, where sailing events will be staged.
• Surfing will take place in French Polynesia’s Tahiti, in a French overseas territory nearly 16,000km (10,000 miles) from the rest of the venues.
• Here are more details about the different Olympic venues this year.

What do French politics have to do with the elections?

Legislative elections in France concluded earlier this month, with no party winning a clear majority. Soon after the election results, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party announced that he would resign.

While Macron accepted Attal’s resignation, Attal’s government will stay in a caretaker capacity to ensure the Olympic Games run smoothly.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on July 22: “We are ready and we will be ready throughout the Games [to host the event].”

How to watch the Olympics 2024?

• The Paris Olympics 2024 will be broadcast globally.
• You can follow the summer games on Al Jazeera’s dedicated Paris 2024 Olympics tournament page with all the news and features, as well as event build-up and live text commentary on selected football, basketball, tennis and boxing fixtures.

Olympic competition dates – sport by sport:

Opening ceremony: July 26, River Seine

• Archery: July 25 to August 4, Invalides
• Artistic gymnastics: July 25 to August 4, Bercy Arena
• Artistic swimming: August 5-10, Bercy Arena
• Athletics: August 1-11, Stade de France (track and field), Trocadero (race walks), Invalides (marathons)
• Badminton: July 27 to August 5, La Chapelle Arena
• 3×3 Basketball: July 30 to August 5, La Concorde
• Basketball: July 27 to August 11, Pierre Mauroy Stadium (group phase) and Bercy Arena (finals)
• Beach volleyball: July 27 to August 10, Eiffel Tower Stadium
• Boxing: July 27 to August 10, North Paris Arena and Roland-Garros Stadium
• Breaking: August 9-10, La Concorde
• Canoe slalom: July 27 to August 5, Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium – Whitewater
• Canoe sprint: August 6-10, Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium – Flatwater
• Cycling BMX: July 30 to August 2, La Concorde (freestyle), BMX Stadium (racing)
• Cycling mountain bike: July 28-29, Elancourt Hill
• Cycling road: July 27 to August 4, Pont Alexandre III (time trials), Trocadero (road races)
• Cycling track: August 5-11, National Velodrome
• Diving: July 27 to August 10, Aquatics Centre
• Equestrian: July 27 to August 6, Chateau de Versailles
• Fencing: July 27 to August 4, Grand Palais
• Football: July 24 to August 10, Bordeaux Stadium, Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, La Beaujoire Stadium, Lyon Stadium, Marseille Stadium, Nice Stadium and Parc de Princes (finals)
• Golf: August 1-10, Le Golf National
• Handball: July 25 to August 11, South Paris Arena (group stage), Pierre Mauroy Stadium (knockout phase)
• Hockey: July 27 to August 9, Yves-du-Manoir Stadium
• Judo: July 27 to August 3, Champ-de-Mars Arena
• Marathon swimming: August 8-9, Pont Alexandre III
• Modern pentathlon: August 8-11, North Paris Arena (ranking round), Chateau de Versailles
• Rhythmic gymnastics: August 8-10, La Chapelle Arena
• Rowing: July 27 to August 3, Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium – Flatwater
• Rugby sevens: July 24-30, Stade de France
• Sailing: July 28 to August 8, Marseille Marina
• Shooting: July 27 to August 5, Chateauroux Shooting Centre
• Skateboarding: July 27 to August 7, La Concorde
• Sport climbing: August 5-10, Le Bourget Climbing Venue
• Surfing: July 27 to August 4, Teahupo’o, Tahiti
• Swimming: July 27 to August 4, Paris La Defense Arena
• Table tennis: July 27 to August 10, South Paris Arena
• Taekwondo: August 7-10, Grand Palais
• Tennis: July 27 to August 4, Roland Garros
• Trampoline gymnastics: August 2, Bercy Arena
• Triathlon: July 30 to August 5, Pont Alexandre III
• Volleyball: July 27 to August 11, South Paris Arena
• Water polo: July 27 to August 11, Aquatics Centre, Paris La Defense Arena
• Weightlifting: August 7-11, South Paris Arena
• Wrestling: August 5-11, Champ-de-Mars Arena
• Closing ceremony: August 11, Stade de France