June 18, 2024, will be a historic day for the Alpes-Maritimes, marking the passage of the Olympic Flame Relay along the Côte d’Azur.
As early as 2021, the Alpes-Maritimes Departmental Council expressed its desire to become a “stage department,” determined to host the Flame Relay in 2024. The Flame Relay in the Alpes-Maritimes will pass through iconic places along the Côte d’Azur. Numerous sports events and local associations will organize a grand celebration marking the arrival of the flame.
Defined by Paris, the route of the Olympic Flame Relay will highlight the beauty and diverse traditions of the coast, offering an exceptional panorama to the public across the seven sites in the Maralpin area. These include: Villefranche-sur-Mer, Grasse, Cannes, Valberg, Antibes Juan-les-Pins, La Colmiane/Valdeblore, and Nice. The Azure capital will host the cauldron lighting ceremony at the end of the day.
The path of the Olympic flame in the Alpes-Maritimes
In total, seven sites will host the flame before it arrives in Nice for the cauldron lighting. This will mark the end of this historic day in the Alpes-Maritimes. Seven scenarios have been envisioned in each city by the teams from the Alpes-Maritimes Department for a spectacular day.
The Olympic flame will first arrive in Villefranche-sur-Mer with world freediving vice-champion Alice Modolo. For the third time, the Olympic flame will be immersed in the depths of the Mediterranean. It will then be recovered by world champion judoka Loïc Pietri, where it will descend La Colmiane via zip line at a speed of 120 km/h. Afterward, it will proceed through a luge relay in Valberg with Olympic silver medalist in snowboard cross, Julia Pereira de Sousa-Mabileau.
To cap it all off, the Olympic flame will traverse the cities of Grasse for a fragrant relay, Cannes with the ascent of the Cannes festival steps, Antibes with the illumination of old Antibes and its ramparts, and finally end its journey in Nice from 7 PM onwards.