Olympic chief admits Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony could be scaled back further over security fears... despite organisers nearly halving planned crowd for the Seine spectacle

Plans for Paris 2024's ambitious Opening Ceremony could be scaled back further over security concerns, despite Olympics organisers nearly halving the planned attendance for the event.

Organisers had initially suggested around 600,000 spectators would be able to attend the Opening Ceremony when plans were initially unveiled in 2021.

The French government has announced the overall number has been reduced to 326,000.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said 104,000 spectators would be ticket holders on the lower riverbanks of the Seine, with another 222,000 watching for free from the upper banks.

The free tickets will be by invitation only, rather than be available to the public via open registration.

Paris 2024 organisers may scale plans back further for their ambitious Opening Ceremony

Organisers have already nearly halved the number of planned spectators down to 326,000

IOC official Christophe Dubi admitted organisers will have to adapt to the level of risk

Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi admitted the ambitious Opening Ceremony could still be scaled back further as organiers consider security risks.

The International Olympic Committee official stressed 'safety and security' was the central priority, after the organisation's Coordiation Commission made its final visit to Paris to inspect plans ahead of the Games.

'You can adapt according to the level of risk,' Dubi told Sky News.

'So depending on the nature of the threat, of course this can be further reduced if need be.

'It was addressing an underlying question, which is 'can we revert back to another location, say, a stadium somewhere?'

'You cannot plan for a Plan B. It's far too big, too sophisticated, too complex artistically to look at a Plan B in another location. 

'Plan B is reducing, adjusting, but it is that location.'

Spectators will have to go through a security screening process for the Opening Ceremony, which will still have a record attendance and be the first held outside of a stadium.

Paris will be holding the first Olympic Games Opening Ceremony outside of a stadium

Athletes will be taken down a six-kilometre route on around 170 boats, which will pass landmarks including the Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.

The route will end close to the Eiffel Tower, with the Trocadero gardens hosting the finale of the ceremony.

Around 80 giant screens are expected to show the ceremony in the city.

Given the city centre focus of the ceremony, a massive security operation is expected to be in place for the spectacle.

Invitations for the free tickets are expected to be sent to towns and regions hosting Olympic events via a quota system, according to the Associated Press, as well as local sports federations and others chosen by organisers.

As a consquence, tourists will be unable to secure tickets for the Opening Ceremony. 

'To manage crowd movement, we can't tell everyone to come,' Darmanin said. 

'For security reasons that everyone understands, notably the terrorist threat of recent weeks, we are obliged to make it free but contained.'

The Olympic Games will begin in the French capital on July 26 and run until August 11

Darmanin claimed 200,000 people will also be able to watch from inside apartments or buildings overlooking the river, as well as 50,000 from fan zones.

Some 30,000 members of the police force are expected to be mobilised every day during the Olympics. 

Paris was the target of co-ordinated terrorist attacks by Islamic State militants in 2015, with the atackings leaving 130 dead and 350 wounded.

France raised its security alert to its highest level in October, after a teacher was stabbed to death in a knife attack.

The Opening Ceremony will take place on July 26, with competition running until August 11. The Paralympic Games then follows from August 28 to September 8.