London 2012: Record number of tickets to Paralympic Games sold

Sarah Shaffi, Olympics editor (news) Wednesday, August 8, 2012
4:58 PM

A record 2.1million tickets to the Paralympic Games have been sold, Paralympic organisers have said.

With three weeks to go until the event the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) also confirmed that 600,000 tickets to the Games, which run from August 29 to September 9, were purchased in the last month.

The previous record for number of Paralympic tickets sold was 1.8m, set for the 2008 Beijing Games.

Seb Coe, chairman of LOCOG, said: “We are absolutely delighted with how the British public has responded so far to tickets for the Paralympic Games.

“The Olympic Games have shown us that the UK has taken the Games to their heart and with the tickets sold so far and more still to come I look forward to even more people getting the chance to join in and to form memories that will last a lifetime.”

A total of 2.5m Paralympic tickets have been put on sale, with tickets still available for sports at the ExCeL, including wheelchair fencing, sitting volleyball, boccia and powerlifting.

The £15 tickets to these sports include a £10 ExCeL day pass, which allows spectators to see up to five sports at the ExCeL on the same day on a first come, first served, general admission basis.

There are also tickets available for the Paralympic opening and closing ceremonies, but only in the higher price brackets from £250 to £500.

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, said: “To have sold the most ever tickets for a Paralympic Games three weeks before the opening ceremony is absolutely fantastic and shows the insatiable appetite the public has for top class elite sport.

“Normally the busiest sales period for the Paralympic Games is once the Olympics have begun. The difference in London however is that ahead of the Games starting we had sold over 1.4m tickets, giving us a great platform with which to build from.

“So far London has delivered a quite spectacular Olympic Games which has further whetted the appetite of the public ahead of the Paralympics.

“Our aim now is to sell every single ticket. It would be a fitting that when the Paralympic Movement returns to its spiritual birthplace in three weeks time it does so in front of packed sold-out venues.”

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of the British Paralympic Association, said: “We want everyone to get behind ParalympicsGB in the way they have behind Team GB - it will make a difference.

“We want the stadia to be packed to the rafters with British supporters. I can promise exhilarating sport in stunning venues with all our GB athletes ready to put it all on the line for our country.

“I know our athletes can’t wait to compete in front of the biggest crowds ever at a Paralympic Games and we want them to be full of British fans.”