The Olympic flame to arrive in Marseille, where the Torch Relay will begin its journey to Paris

The Olympic flame will make its first stop on the Paris 2024 Torch Relay in Marseille, France in the spring of 2024.

Following its lighting in Olympia, the site of the Ancient Olympic Games, the flame will travel to Marseille in the South of France, transported on the Bélem, a majestic three-masted vessel that first took to the seas in 1896. It is the last of the great French ships of the XIX century to still be in use and will connect Athens to Marseille - two great cities with a deep-rooted shared history.

The Olympic Torch Relay, which is sponsored by Coca-Cola and Groupe BPCE, will then begin its long journey to the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on 26 July 2024 in France’s capital. The Torch Relay route will be revealed in May 2023.

“This important event will give people a taste of the spirit of the Games that will be seen in Marseille in the summer when 800 athletes will be welcomed, 10 sailing events and 10 football matches will take place,” said Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024.

According to skateboarder Vincent Matheron, who was born and raised in Marseille and came 7th at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, welcoming the flame to his hometown will be a great source of pride.

“This is where I have lived for all my life, where I began skateboarding... Receiving the Olympic flame is a great honour,” he said before competing in the world park skateboarding championships in the United Arab Emirates, from 5-12 February.

“Marseille is a town that promotes sports all across France as we have the sea, the sun, football, Stade de Marseille, skateboard, all the sports possible... I think the city will be proud.”

One of the great traditions of any Olympic Games, the Olympic Torch Relay is a symbol of peace, unity and friendship between people. The torch carries a sacred fire that has been lit with the sun’s rays in a ceremony on the site of Ancient Olympia as a tribute to the Ancient Olympic Games.

Thousands of torchbearers will then carry the flame to the host city, with the flame ending its journey by lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Opening Ceremony to declare the opening of the Games.

Next year, this journey will begin in Marseille, a city indelibly linked with Greece and one that will host a number of Paris 2024 sports events.

After the flame is lit in Olympia, it will travel from the capital of Greece across the Mediterranean Sea, connecting the homeland of the Ancient Olympics to the “Pays des Lumières”. The flame will land in Marseille’s Old Port, where the start of the Olympic Torch Relay will be marked with a large celebration taking place on the city docks.

"The celebration will be crazy. It's going to be like a Champions League final with Marseille competing! I think there will be a huge crowd there. I'd love to be there,” said Matheron, who is a big football fan.

Benoît Payan, Mayor of Marseille, had this to say about the flame's visit to the city: “It is a joy for the city of Marseille to be the first phase of the prologue of the Olympic flame and to celebrate with the world its arrival in France. Welcoming this big celebration will be the opportunity for the people of Marseille to gather, to vibrate, and to share a big popular event on the Vieux Port. This global event will be allowing everyone to share a joyful moment of conviviality and solidarity.”

At 2,600 years old, Marseille is both a former colony of Greece (Massalia) and the oldest city in France. Since the city was founded after the marriage of a man from Phocea and a woman of Celtic-Ligures origin, the city has become known for welcoming people from across the world for centuries. Marseille is a warm, open and festive city that reflects the values of sport and the Games.

The city will also play a major role in the upcoming Games, where two competition venues - Marseille Stadium and Marseille Marina - will host football and sailing events respectively.

“Marseille was chosen by Paris 2024 for a number of reasons,” Estanguet explained. “Key to our decision was the place sport occupies in the city and the hearts of its people, including the great involvement the city has had in the Paris 2024 project for many years.”