Prologue

The Prologue in Marseille

The Olympic Flame finally arrives on French soil and launches four months of celebrations!

After 12 days sailing the Mediterranean aboard the Belem, a three-masted sailing vessel for which Caisse d'Epargne is the main sponsor, 8 May 2024 marked the grand arrival of the Olympic Flame at the Vieux-Port in Marseille, where the first torchbearer on French soil awaited it: Florent Manaudou, four-time Olympic medallist and Marseille native by adoption.

150,000 people were also waiting for the arrival of the Flame for an exceptional, spectacular and festive day of celebrations on the Vieux-Port in Marseille, the first stopover town for the Torch Relay in France.

The Olympic flame arrives in France

Kicking off four months of celebrations around the Games

The arrival of the flame marks the start of 4 months of celebrations around the Games, until the Paralympic Games close on 8 September. 11,000 torchbearers will be criss-crossing the country to get the French in the mood.

• Olympic Torch Relay: 10,000 torchbearers, 17,000 kilometres covered, 66 stopover towns, 450 towns crossed, 6 overseas territories visited, in 69 days.
• Paralympic Torch Relay: 1,000 torchbearers, 50 towns and all the French regions crossed in 4 days. 

The prologue in Marseille

A foretaste of the Games and exceptional celebrations

Welcoming the Belem and the flame to Marseille: a grandiose event! From 11am to 5pm, 1,024 boats will escort the Belem and its crew to a spectacular arrival in the Vieux Port. Florent Manaudou is the first torchbearer on French soil: a natural for the four-time Olympic medallist, who won the 50m freestyle title in London in 2012. A native of Marseille by adoption, Florent Manaudou is a member of the Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille. After his sister Laure, who carried the flame to Olympia, what could be more logical than for a French Olympic legend like Florent Manaudou to welcome the flame to Marseille!

Throughout the day, 150,000 people are expected to gather in the Vieux Port for a memorable celebration. First there will be nautical workshops, with jousting, light sails, old rigging, traditional oars, pleasure boats, barquettes marseillaises, rowing, kayaking, canoeing... Then there will be an artistic performance at the Château d'If, with 37 dancers from La Horde, the Marseille ballet, and the Compagnie Grenade, performing "Room with a view" to music by Rone, the leading DJ on the French electro scene. At 9pm, the Vieux Port lights up with a concert supported by Coca-Cola, featuring Marseille stars Soprano and Alonzo.

Marseille welcomes the flame

The city's fervour is well established, and this summer it will be vibrating to the rhythm of the Games!

The first team of torchbearers on 9 May brings back wonderful memories for OM fans: Didier Drogba, Eric Di Meco, Jean-Pierre Papin, Basile Boli, Valentin Rongier... They brought you some legendary moments at the Orange Vélodrome. Come and experience others with the Games! A total of 10 matches will be held at the Marseille Stadium during the Games, including :

• 2 quarter-finals: on 2 August at 7pm (men); on 3 August at 7pm (women).
• 2 semi-finals: 5 August at 6pm (men); 6 August at 9pm (women).
• 10 sailing events will also take place at the Marina de Marseille between 28 July and 8 August.

Marseille is ready to catch fire for the Games, with the famous fervour for which the Stade Vélodrome and the people of Marseille are renowned. There are still tickets available to experience the excitement of the Orange Vélodrome during the Games: don't delay!

The arrival of the Olympic Flame in France launches four months of celebrations across the country

The Torch Relay paves the way for the celebrations that Paris 2024 wants to be accessible throughout France, so that you can experience the Games intensely!

• + More than 200 celebration venues across France, including in towns that are not hosting an event
• The Champions Park at the Trocadéro, for the first time a place to celebrate the medallists of the Games, 120,000 people over 9 days with free access
• Club France and the Parc des Nations at La Villette, with the headquarters of numerous delegations
• Until 8 September, the Games Map will enable the French to find all the places celebrating the Games around them by geolocating themselves.
• And the 2,000 projects that have been awarded the Cultural Olympiad label: exhibitions, shows, plays, festivities, etc. all over France, linking sport and culture.