Let's fill those seats!
Boosted by a successful Olympics, tickets for the Paralympics continue to sell well. Now the International Paralympic Committee is bullish about selling out the Games for the first time in their 52-year history.
With a little over two weeks to go, 2.1 million of the 2.5 million seats have been sold. That’s more than Athens (850,000) and Sydney (1.2 million) combined. Beijing shifted 1.8 million tickets and gave a similar amount away to fill venues.
Although most of the remaining tickets are for events at ExCel (£10 for a day pass!) and outside London, it’s still possible to get into the Olympic Park. At the time of writing, tickets are available for the Opening Ceremony, five-a-side, wheelchair basketball, and closing ceremony, as well as tours of the Orbit Tower (requires a separate venue ticket). Prices start from just £15. To get one, you’ll need to register with London 2012 first, then navigate their clunky search tools.
Even if the sport is only of limited interest to you, the Paralympics will be your last chance to see some of the venues in their current state. The Aquatics Centre is due to lose its wings post-Games, the stadium may (or may not) be trimmed down to size, and the Basketball and Riverbank Arenas will vanish entirely.
The Paralympics run from 29 August until 9 September. Image from London 2012.
