How the Olympics will change France's 2024 cultural calendar
France's culture minister has revealed early details for France's 2024 summer festival calendar - in which several big events will have to move to accommodate the Olympics and Paralympics.
As France prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2024 - a huge undertaking requiring significant time, investment, and security planning - questions have been raised as to whether other French cultural events set to take place during the period will be sidelined.
France's culture minister, Rima Abdul-Malak, said that big events taking place during the Olympic period may need to be "pushed back" and "adapted."
Abdul-Malak, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera sent out the note to local authorities on Tuesday, to begin "setting a framework for reconciling cultural and sporting life" during the period June 23rd to September 8th 2024.
After chaotic scenes during the Champion's League Final's at the Stade de France in May 2022, newspapers across the world cast doubt on France's ability to host a safe and secure Olympic Games.
In response to these concerns, Darmanin told parliament at the end of October that for the Paris region alone, an additional 12,000 to 45,000 "internal security forces" will be needed "depending on the days" during the Olympics according to Eurosport.
Darmanin added that other cultural and sporting events across the country might need to be "cancelled or postponed" if they fall into the same period as the Olympics (July 25th -August 11th) or Paralympics (August 28th - September 8th) - as there may not be a large enough security presence to cover other events too.
Which festivals are moving?
According to the statement, impacted festivals and sporting events can be shifted to before July 17th or to the period between August 12th and 23rd, prior to the start of the Paralympics.
One major sporting event that has already announced a change is the Tour of France - which will finish the race in Nice - rather than Paris - for the first time in history. The Tour de France will still conclude on July 21st.
The Ministry of Culture also announced that the annual Avignon Festival - a popular art festival, as well as the oldest existing festival in France, will be maintained with an adjustment of dates. Other festivals like the "Vieilles Charrues" and the "Interceltic of Lorient" will reportedly also continue to take place during the summer of 2024, with changes to their dates.
The joint memo also indicated that the main events affected are those requiring larger security presences - those that can make do with local police will, reportedly, be able to go on without issue during the Olympic period.
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As France prepares to host the Olympic Games in 2024 - a huge undertaking requiring significant time, investment, and security planning - questions have been raised as to whether other French cultural events set to take place during the period will be sidelined.
France's culture minister, Rima Abdul-Malak, said that big events taking place during the Olympic period may need to be "pushed back" and "adapted."
Abdul-Malak, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera sent out the note to local authorities on Tuesday, to begin "setting a framework for reconciling cultural and sporting life" during the period June 23rd to September 8th 2024.
After chaotic scenes during the Champion's League Final's at the Stade de France in May 2022, newspapers across the world cast doubt on France's ability to host a safe and secure Olympic Games.
In response to these concerns, Darmanin told parliament at the end of October that for the Paris region alone, an additional 12,000 to 45,000 "internal security forces" will be needed "depending on the days" during the Olympics according to Eurosport.
Darmanin added that other cultural and sporting events across the country might need to be "cancelled or postponed" if they fall into the same period as the Olympics (July 25th -August 11th) or Paralympics (August 28th - September 8th) - as there may not be a large enough security presence to cover other events too.
Which festivals are moving?
According to the statement, impacted festivals and sporting events can be shifted to before July 17th or to the period between August 12th and 23rd, prior to the start of the Paralympics.
One major sporting event that has already announced a change is the Tour of France - which will finish the race in Nice - rather than Paris - for the first time in history. The Tour de France will still conclude on July 21st.
The Ministry of Culture also announced that the annual Avignon Festival - a popular art festival, as well as the oldest existing festival in France, will be maintained with an adjustment of dates. Other festivals like the "Vieilles Charrues" and the "Interceltic of Lorient" will reportedly also continue to take place during the summer of 2024, with changes to their dates.
The joint memo also indicated that the main events affected are those requiring larger security presences - those that can make do with local police will, reportedly, be able to go on without issue during the Olympic period.
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