Experience the Games in Lille
The metropolis of Lille and the whole of the Hauts de France region are gearing up for a celebration unlike any other in France: Lille and the surrounding area will be the scene of constant surprises. Just like the journey from the stadium to the nearest metro station, where over 300 volunteers will be on hand to set the scene, dozens of events will illuminate the entire metropolis. Welcome to a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the Games, with a tailor-made programme of activities and events, each one as exciting as the next.
24 hours in the Games' shoes
On July 2, 2024, the Olympic flame launched the festivities as it passed through Lille and the surrounding area... No fewer than 7 towns will be crossed - Dunkirk, Douai, Tourcoing, Avesne-sur-Helpe, Wallers-Arenberg, Cambrai and finally Lille - in a great popular and festive ceremony.
Once the Games get underway, it's all fireworks. The unmissable people's party will take place on Lille's Grand-Place to cheer on the athletes and comment on their exploits in the cafés.
You can also visit the Tripostal for an exhibition celebrating the marriage of sport and innovation. Design, fashion and the visual arts will be brought together to propose prototypes based on innovative textiles and know-how, notably from the Hauts-de-France region, the Lille European Metropolis and its Belgian neighbors.
After culture, it's time for sport... and relaxation! A game of pétanque at the Vauban boulodrome, next to the citadel, or on the Place Casquette pitch in Wazemmes, will give you the chance to get in on the action and compete with other sports fans and the dozens of nationalities who have come to discover Lille.
Of course, you'll also want to head to Villeneuve d'Ascq to enjoy the atmosphere of the basketball and handball matches, before heading to Place d'Oujda in Wazemmes to try your hand at outdoor sports: athletics, creative weight training, basketball and hopscotch. There's something for everyone!
11 reasons to stay in Lille and enjoy an experience you'll never want to miss again!
1. Look for (and find!) Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kévin Durant and the whole armada of Team USA Basketball: in the city center, you'll have a chance to catch a glimpse of the American stars of the basketball team, whose residence is kept secret (L'Hermitage Gantois, but shhh...).
2. 2 villages to enjoy the 52-game party: just a stone's throw from Stade Pierre-Mauroy - 36 basketball games, 16 handball matches during the Games - an entertainment village has been built by MEL Métropole, between the Quatre Pontons and Stade stations: at the entrance, with musical and sports events, concerts, food trucks... and at the exit, at the Cité Scientifique and Hotel de Ville de Villeneuve d'Ascq exits. More information on the Map of the Games, available on the Paris 2024 app.
3. An “Olympium” stroll, with a chance to bump into athletes: France's Olympic medalists from Tokyo will be staying in the “Olympium” residence adjacent to the Villeneuve-d'Ascq stadium, where the teams for the basketball preliminary phases and handball finals in summer 2024 will be housed. 495 rooms, including 395 singles, for a total of 550 beds, longer than the average (2.20 m). Nearby, the incredible Parc du Héron and the Museum of Modern Art complete a circuit that will be well worth the detour.
4. Prepare for the chase by taking part in the Citadelle race: it's a good idea to get your breath under control before running around the city to find your heroes, so the best thing to do is sign up on June 23 for the Citadelle race, with different categories (Kids Run, 5km (run/rando), 10km...) and the big popular race, to be run in disguise or not: at 6.30pm, the 2024m race!.and a village for everyone, amateur or experienced.
5. Reinventing the links between the worlds of science, art and sport: Textimoov, at Tripostal, on 6000m2: an unusual combination of artistic creation (fashion, design, plastic and digital arts, architecture...) and industrial products in the fields of sport, travel, space exploration...
6. Take part in the Grande Collecte des archives du sport, at the Archives Départementales du Nord, rue Saint-Bernard: come along with any document, manuscript or visual that you would like to preserve in the best possible way! The enrichment of sporting memory guarantees that these archives will be preserved indefinitely, in the best possible material conditions.
7. Admire boxers at... the pool: in Les Cabines de la Piscine, young Roubaix-based photographer Anouk Desury shows the careers of four young boxers from Roubaix, captured in their everyday environment and training. Winner of a major photographic commission from the Bibliothèque nationale de France in 2021. Exhibition from June 22 to September 1, 2024 at the Musée d'Art et d'industrie André Diligent.
8. Take advantage of ephemeral guinguettes, including the one at Saint-André, a unique experience in meeting and sharing. A good alternative? The impressive structure of the former Fives-Cail house, home to the Chaud Bouillon, a place for sharing “good food and simple pleasures”. In all, more than 38 establishments will be broadcasting the Games live, from the Grand-Place in the heart of Lille to the outskirts of the city.
9. Play, play and play some more, with sports activities for youngsters organized by Décathlon at various locations in downtown Lille.
10. Play sports at the beach: just 30 minutes by TGV from Lille, the city and beaches of Dunkirk offer kitesurfing, kite flying and some very nice contemporary art surprises. A welcome break as joyous and festive as the passage of the Relais de la Flamme through the city on July 2.
11. Reading on the theme of sport: that's what the association Lire et faire lire is proposing on Sunday October 20 in Santes. It's also an opportunity to take part in one last Relais Nature: and to visit the “Mission Océan” exhibition.