Olympic Games 2024: French law means alcohol will be banned from Paris Olympic venues

Fans heading to watch the Paris Olympics next year won’t be able to enjoy the Games with a beer or wine in hand because of French law.

Olympics booze ban

Fans heading to watch the Olympics in Paris next year will be restricted to drinking water and soft drinks with a French law prohibiting the sale of alcohol at stadiums.

VIPs sitting in corporate boxes will be the only ones allowed sip champagne or beer at any Olympic venue next year.

Under French legislation, dubbed Evin’s Law, alcohol cannot be sold or advertised to the general public at stadiums, physical education rooms or gymnasiums.

There are a different set of rules for corporate suites and VIPs though.

Paris 2024 organisers could seek an exemption to allow the sale – just as organisers of this year’s Rugby World Cup have.

Alcohol can’t be sold or advertised at stadiums in France. Picture: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

Under the statute the government can grant an exemption for 10 events a year.

A Games spokesman has revealed that organisers have not applied for an exemption.

“Paris 2024 will be organising more than 700 competition sessions over 15 days of competition,” the Games spokesman said.

“It is the strict application of French law that allows catering services that include the provision of alcohol to operate in hospitality areas as they are governed by a separate law on catering.”

Fans won’t be the only ones unable to enjoy a drink with organisers announcing earlier this year alcohol would be banned from the Athletes’ Village.

It is not the first time alcohol has been banned from Olympic stadiums with Tokyo organisers putting in place a booze ban in 2020 – but with the delayed Games going ahead without fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic the ban wasn’t tested.

Fans could purchase beer and wine at the 2012 and 2016 Games.

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Originally published as Olympic Games 2024: French law means alcohol will be banned from Paris Olympic venues