How to get tickets to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games

How does one get into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, you might ask?

The hardest way would be to combine an insane amount of training, loads of natural talent, good timing and at least a little bit of luck and boom! You’ll be watching the Games from inside the pool itself.

But short of that, the Rio 2016 organizing committee has announced its ticket sales process for both the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

You can find the full detailing of the process on the Rio 2016 website here, but we’ve boiled down the process below:

  • Right Now: Fans can register for the Rio Ticket web portal to receive updates on the process as well as reminders about key dates.
  • March 2015: Brazilian fans get the first crack at tickets, applying for an opportunity to buy tickets in the first draw in March of 2015
  • March 2015: Non-Brazil residents can buy tickets through a registered re-seller. Authorized resellers for foreign countries will be listed on this page this coming March
  • June 2015: The results of the first draw will be announced, with selected applicants able to purchase their tickets
  • July 2015: Brazil residents get to register for the second draw. Note: only those who applied for the first draw will be eligible to apply again.
  • August 2015: Results of the second draw will be announced
  • October 2015: Unsold tickets after the two draws will go on sale for Brazil residents with no random draw
  • May 2016: Tickets mailed to buyers who wish to have their tickets delivered
  • June 2016: Tickets available for pickup

The Rio 2016 website also announced that more than half of the total tickets will be available for relatively low prices, “to ensure that all sections of Brazilian society will be able to attend the Games.” The site reports that 3.8 million tickets will cost R$70 or less, which amounts to about $27 in American currency. The cheapest tickets will sell for R$40, or about $15 in American dollars. You can find specific prices for various events on this document.

Pool swimming tickets are among the most expensive sports (R$260-R$900 for finals sessions, which is about US$100-US$350), though marathon open water swimming tickets are at the very low end of the price range.

Tickets for the Paralympic Games will be sold on a different schedule, which the organizing committee will announce later.

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Pam
7 years ago

Who’s going to Rio and when do you leave we leave on Sunday, we have one extra ticket to basketball for Wednesday

John Bly
7 years ago

Anyone looking to dump some Category D or E opening Ceremony tickets last minute? I’m in need of 5, [email protected]

Mary
Reply to  John Bly
7 years ago

Check the rio2016.com website….I saw some there yesterday. USA residents can buy from it now.

Mary
7 years ago

Lots of Swimming keep popping up on the official Rio ticket site.

Mary
7 years ago

I see AirBnB also has a Hospitality House for those who booked through this. Don’t have the info with me. Emails went out the other day.

Mary
7 years ago

I have a question for Swimming fans. I have a ticket for August 6th at 2200, but, will be arriving in Rio 2.5 hours before. Is this a real popular event? I’m also going to August 9th at 1300 and 2200, Those look good. Leaving Tennis early….lol.

Jeff
7 years ago

i’m looking for two tickets Men’s and Women’s Finals (SW014) please email me [email protected]

Mary
Reply to  Jeff
7 years ago

They keep popping on and off rio2016.com. Got mine!

Laurence
7 years ago

I have some extra tickets i want to trade. Email me if your interested. My email address is [email protected]

Aug 6th Table Tennis TT001: 9:00 a.m. Rio Centro, Cat. B, 1 ticket. R$50,00
Aug 6th Volleyball VO001, 9:30 a.m. Maracanazinho, Cat. D, 4 tickets R$100,00
Aug 6th Boxing BXOO1: 11:00 a.m. Rio Centro, Cat. B, 2 tickets R$60,00
Aug 6th Table Tennis TT002: 14:30 p.m. Rio Centro, Cat. A, 1 ticket R$70,00
Aug 6th Table Tennis TT003: 19:00 p.m. Rio Centro, Cat. A, 1 ticket R$70,00
Aug 6th Boxing BXOO2: 17:00 p.m. Rio Centro, Cat. B, 1 ticket R$ 60,00
Aug 7th Weightlifting WL002, 10:00 a.m. Rio Centro, Cat. B, 8 tickets R$… Read more ยป

Steve
7 years ago

Mary, do you suggest wearing USA gear through the metros to the games? Will everyone be in their gear or does that make us a target to street thieves?

Mary
Reply to  Steve
7 years ago

Hi Steve! I’m staying in a Restricted Zone, next to the Olympic Village. We are not walking the streets of Rio. We also have a tour of Christ the Redeemer and SugarLoaf. The only way we are going out of the zone is to go to USA House. Got a one-day pass. ๐Ÿ™‚ In London, I wore my USA Jacket. This time, we are really staying at the venues. ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m not taking a DSLR…got a pocket Leica now. Not taking any jewelry either. ๐Ÿ™‚

Steve
Reply to  Mary
7 years ago

Oh wow, ok, That’s what I thought. My wife is Hispanic so we’re hoping to blend in. lol We got an apartment literally next door to the Copacabana Palace where the VIP lounge will be. Map says it will be a one minute walk! lol
We’re going to be out and about all over the place.. guess we’ll leave the USA gear at home. We arrive on the 4th….praying for the best.
Thanks for all the info, as usual!

Mary
Reply to  Steve
7 years ago

Thanks, Steve! I love to help others to have a great time. That’s a great location! I might go on one of the four night to Chase House, if I stop buying tickets…lol. I got more tickets from Rio2016.com. They keep adding Swimming tickets….got to love those eTickets! Hopefully I’ll be seeing lots of USA members in the Finals!

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending โ€ฆ

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