Rio launches 2016 Games ticket system

Registration for tickets to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games begins in March and organisers will reserve 70 per cent of tickets for Brazilians.

Rio Olympics organisers on Thursday unveiled the Games' ticketing distribution system, urging fans chasing 7.5 million tickets to register on a web portal if they want to see live action at the August 5-21, 2016 extravaganza.

Fans in the host country must register via the www.rio2016.com website, where 70 per cent will be earmarked for Brazilian residents.

Foreign fans must apply through a separate process.

Following registration, actual applications start from March. Two lottery draws will be held -- fans are required to register for both ahead of a real time sale of remaining tickets from October.

Box office sales for the remnants will occur from June next year, in what organising committee president Carlos Nuzman and commercial executive director Renato Ciuchini praised as a "fair and transparent process".

Just over half of the tickets will be available for 70 reais ($A32) or less. The cheapest full price tickets will be 40 reais for weightlifting.

Pensioners, the disabled and students will enjoy half price concessions, meaning the cheapest deal of all will be just 20 reais.

Ciuchini said no tickets would be free but stressed the option to pay by instalment over a maximum of five months meant "that's just a couple of bus tickets" per month for the cheapest deals.

Three per cent of tickets will cost upwards of 600 reais for marquee events -- including the men's 100m final expected to feature multiple champion Usain Bolt -- and all but out of reach for the poorest fans in a country where the minimum monthly wage is just 724 reais ($A297).

The most expensive seats of all will be box seats for the opening ceremony at a hefty 4600 reais.

"We will have a fair and transparent process, in line with the concept of 'Games for All', which is one of the pillars of Rio 2016," Ciuchini said, describing pricing as making the event "very accessible" to all sections of society seeking a taste of the South America's first Olympiad.

Tickets for foreign fans will be distributed via authorised resellers appointed by National Olympic Committees who will be listed on the official Games site from March.

Organisers repeated earlier warnings that ticket scalpers would face fines - the practice is illegal in Brazil but notably occurred at last year's football World Cup.


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Source: AAP


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