PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) – The number of people estimated to be attending the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympics has been reviewed and fell down to about 300,000, French Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.
The opening ceremony will be a six kilometre parade along the River Seine on July 26, amid security concern as France is on high terrorism alert.
“The idea is that there will be 100,000 people on the lower quays (with paying tickets) and more than 220,000 people on the upper quays (with free tickets),” Darmanin told French TV channel France 2.
“Then there are all those who live there and who will be able to rent, have parties along the Seine.”
The last time Darmanin made an estimate on the number of attendees was in May 2023, when he said up to 600,000 were expected at the opening ceremony.
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