The Olympic cauldron, which resembles a hot-air balloon, was lit on Friday evening by former athlete Marie-José Pérec and judoka Teddy Riner. It will be open to the public for free throughout the Olympic Games, according to Paris-2024 and energy company EDF, which created this “100% electric” flame.
From Saturday “and every day during the Games, 10,000 people will have the opportunity to get close to the cauldron, with 300 entries allowed every 15 minutes,” announced the Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games (Cojo) on its website.
The cauldron located in the Jardin des Tuileries will be open from 11:00 to 19:00 every day, with a capacity limit of “3,000 people at a time,” bringing it within reach of the public during the day, before it returns to the Paris skyline as night falls.
Designed by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the cauldron will lift off at sunset every evening to be visible from a great distance, say organisers of the Paris Games.
The Paris 2024 Olympic cauldron is lit! Sorry, THE PARIS 2024 HOT-AIR BALLOON OLYMPIC CAULDRON IS LIT! 🤯 🔥 #Paris2024 #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/CIuS4RzfHD
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) July 26, 2024
EDF has described the “ring-flame” as a symbol for “a more responsible, electric future.” The flame is actually a “powerful beam of light” projected onto vaporised water. “Despite the apparent simplicity of this solution made possible by advances in LED technology, it represents many hours of work,” says EDF.
The cauldron integrates 40 projectors, uses around 3 cubic metres of water per hour when it is in flight, and 2 cubic metres when it is on the ground. The aluminium structure is robust and light. At night, the structure rises 60 metres into the air.
