Iconic venues and samba spirit to give Maracanã zone a special flavour at Rio 2016 Olympic Games
With athletics, volleyball and football – plus the opening and closing ceremonies – the region promises an array of magic moments
The Maracanã complex features the eponymous stadium, the Maracanãzinho and the Julio de Lamare Aquatics Centre (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
With just five venues, the Maracanã zone perhaps seems small compared the Olympic Parks in Barra and Deodoro. But with two of Rio de Janeiro’s most famous landmarks – plus three of the most popular sports, and the opening and closing ceremonies – the region will more than hold its own when the razzmatazz of the Games begins.
The legendary Maracanã Stadium will be the focus of the world on 5 August 2016 when it hosts the Olympic Games opening ceremony, before staging the decisive stages of the football tournaments – including the Brazilian men’s obsessive pursuit of that elusive Olympic gold medal. Volleyball will take place in the neighbouring Maracanãzinho (‘Little Maracanã’), the spiritual home of the sport in Brazil.
The Sambódromo, home of the Rio Carnival Parade, will provide an iconic backdrop for the start and finish of the marathon, plus the archery events. Then there is the Olympic Stadium, where the stars of track field – including a certain Mr Bolt – will seek to etch their names in Olympic history.
“There are many possibilities for fans,” said Craig Holland, the regional planning manager for Maracanã.“You could spend the morning at the Maracanãzinho watching an early session of volleyball, then head to the Olympic Stadium to watch a packed evening session of athletics. You could get a taste of the Sambódromo at an archery session in the morning and then an evening session of water polo at Julio de Lamare. And if you don't want to spend all day at the venues, you could enjoy some of the city centre’s historical sites, check out the new renovated port area or even find your inner samba in a club in Lapa.”
In the third of our special series, we present the ticket options available in the Maracanã zone. There are tickets available for 110 sports sessions, which could be a single event, such as the marathon, or a package, such as two football, volleyball or water polo matches.
Three venues inside the Maracanã complex will be used for the Games: the eponymous stadium, the Maracanãzinho and the Júlio de Lamare Aquatics Centre, which will host the preliminary rounds of the water polo competition.
MARACANÃ COMPLEX
| venue | SPORT | PRICE | DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Júlio de Lamare Aquatics Centre | Water Polo | From R$50 | 6-8 and 14 August 2016 |
| Maracanã | Football | From R$40 | 16, 17,19 and 20 August 2016 |
| Opening Ceremony | From R$200 | 5 August 2016 | |
| Closing Ceremony | From R$200 | 21 August 2016 | |
| Maracanãzinho | Volleyball | From R$100 | 6-20 August 2016 |
As well as staging the blue-riband athletics competitions in the second week, the Olympic Stadium will host group-phase football matches during the first week of the Games.
| VENUE | SPORT | PRICE | DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Stadium | Athletics | From R$100 | 12-20 August 2016 |
| Football | From R$40 | 3, 4, 6 and 7 August 2016 |
The sound of samba will never be far away at the Sambódromo, which is famous around the world as the stage for Rio’s Carnival Parade.
| VENUE | SPORT | PRICE | DATES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sambódromo | Athletics (Marathon) | From R$40 | 21 August 2016 |
| Archery | From R$50 | 6-12 August 2016 |
The ticket prices listed are in Brazilian reais and are the face-value prices defined by the Rio 2016 Organising Committee. Each authorised ticket reseller (ATR) has the right to charge a service fee of up to 20 per cent of this value. For the latest information on tickets, visit www.rio2016.com/en/take-part/spectators. To see the full competition schedule, click here.
