Paris Olympics fans forced to splash out £8,000 to drink alcohol with booze ban in place for Games
PARIS Olympics organisers are facing controversy after it emerged that only fans paying thousands for VIP seats will be able to drink alcohol during the Games.
The organising committee has said that ordinary fans will have to go without, pointing to a 1991 French law that bans the sale of alcohol in stadiums unless it is served with a meal.
Organisers say that the spirits, champagne, wine and beer on offer with hospitality packages costing up to €9,500 (£8,170) per person are authorised because the drinks come with an "international gourmet menu".
However, any stadium can apply for an exemption that enables it to sell alcohol up to ten times a year with or without food.
Most French football and rugby teams use the exemption to offer beer to fans at big games, but the organising committee has failed to do likewise.
French paper Le Monde have slammed a "double standard" that would lead to VIPs sipping champagne while other fans make do with soft drinks and water.
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While radio station RMC said that there would be a "sentiment of injustice" at the Games.
The controversy is being seen in the French media as a fresh stain on President Emmanuel Macron's pledge to make the Paris Olympics "the people's Games".
A Games spokesperson told Reuters: "Paris 2024 will be organising more than 700 competition sessions over 15 days of competition.
";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."
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Booze was readily available at London 2012 and Rio 2016.
But it was banned at Tokyo 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Stade de France will act as Paris 2024's primary venue.
While events are also set to take place at famous spots including Roland Garros, the Parc des Princes and even the Eiffel Tower.