The dates are already set for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: from 28 August to 8 September
“So many images remain emblazoned in our minds: the many smiles, joyous dancing, discussions in every corner, and so many meaningful encounters”.
Blanca Li, President of La Villette
“The incredible success of La Villette – Nations Park wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of La Villette’s teams, who turned the Park into a magical place for everyone”.
Sophie-Justine Lieber, Director of La Villette
“Nations Park was an ideal way to encounter different cultures. It was such a thrill for us to engage with people from other parts of the world”.
Brigitte and Florence, volunteers from the City of Paris
In partnership with Paris 2024, and for the first time in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, La Villette – Nations Park hosted fifteen nations participating in the Games in one place on its 55-hectare site: India, Slovenia, South Africa, Serbia, the Netherlands, Canada, Mongolia, Brazil, Slovakia, Ukraine, Czechia, Mexico, Colombia, Chinese Taipei, and, of course, France! Alongside that, the Decathlon Playground offered free sports workshops and events by the Geode, and the House of the French and International Association of Olympic Collectors brought enthusiasts together in one of the Park’s Follies.
A non-stop celebration of the Olympic spirit and of athletes’
performances
Inaugurated with the passage of the Olympic Torch on Friday, 26 July, La Villette – Nations Park gave some 1.4 million visitors the opportunity to watch and celebrate the performances of their favourite athletes in super-sized fan zones where each of the 200 medals won by the 15 pavilions hosted in Nations Park was cause for jubilation.
Day after day, the full celebration of the Olympic spirit at La Villette featured a number of star appearances, including by: Rebeca Andrade, Summer McIntosh, Worthy de Jong and his team, Manu Bhaker, the French Rugby Sevens team, Teddy Riner and magnificent French judo team, France’s new darling Léon Marchand, the surfer Johanne Defay and the gold medallist Kauli Vaast, freshly arrived from Tahiti.
At Ukraine’s Volia House, three-time Olympic medallist Olga Kharan and Yaroslava Mahuchikh provided a moment of pause amidst of a programme of meetings and lectures in which the international situation dominated much of the discourse.
Renaud Bouchez
Renaud Bouchez
Bertrand Desprez
Renaud Bouchez
Bertrand Desprez
An ever-greater openness to the cultures of the world
Fans from the four corners of the globe eagerly visited other pavilions than those of their own countries, sharing their culture and high spirits with everyone else.
On the cusp of its World’s Fair, the Serbia House featured an incredible exhibition by Dusan Jovovic. In its pavilion, India presented an overview of its culture between tradition and innovation, while Mongolia took visitors on a fabulous journey to its steppes through performances encompassing traditional arts and age-old athletic activities.
At Club France and the Chinese Taipei Pavilion, electronic music abounded, with performances by Bob Sinclar at the opening and Nymphéa at the closing, some two weeks later.
To share this singular moment with as many people as possible, La Villette invited numerous community associations so that their members could enjoy the sports demonstrations, meet the athletes, and learn all about the history of the Games.
A multicultural ambiance for families and friends
Thanks to the hard work of all the volunteers recruited by the City of Paris, the tourism volunteers from the Ile de France Region, and the Safe Zone community organisations, a broad spectrum of the public was able to enjoy the Park’s 55 hectares in a relaxed ambiance. Visitors were able to reach the site under optimal public transportation conditions (thanks to the City of Paris’ and Paris 2024’s creation of 1,000 bicycle parking spots close to the Park and the information teams on public transportation), to move from north to south without any hindrances (through the installation of two floating bridges that supplemented the two existing, permanent bridges, the improvement of pathways for disabled people, and an increase in public lighting), and to enjoy the cooler temperatures that the site provided for this occasion.
In partnership with Paris 2024, La Villette – Nations Park will transform itself in the coming 15 days to host the Paralympic Games from 28 August to 8 September, alongside Club France (admission free), the Colombia House (admission free), and the House of the Netherlands (admission charge).
The exhibition Archi-Folie will open again from 28 August to 3 September (admission free).