GENEVA (AP) — Don’t worry about spectators sipping a beer in the stadium when Australia hosts the 2032 Olympic Games.
“We’re going to serve beer because we can,” Brisbane organizing committee chairman Andrew Liveris said on Wednesday when asked about banning alcohol for regular fans at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Such is the law for stadiums in France that media reported on Monday that Paris officials will not seek exemptions for dozens of stadiums. However, the rule does not apply to departments where VIPs and upscale hotel guests can expect a full selection of champagnes, wines, liquors, and beers.
“Obviously, local jurisdiction dictates what happens in stadiums,” Liveris said during an online briefing hosted by the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. “From now on, Australia will allow beer to be served in stadiums.”
The availability of beer with alcohol is a frequent problem at major sporting events. The Rugby World Cup in France later this year will have an exception and tournament sponsor beer will be sold out.
When France hosted the 2016 European Championships, one of the sponsors of the month-long football tournament sold low-alcohol beer at the stadiums. Brazil changed its law, under pressure from FIFA, before the 2014 World Cup so that stadiums could sell Budweiser and the national beer of that brand.
A ban imposed by Qatari authorities on the eve of the tournament meant only alcohol-free Budweiser could be sold in stadiums at last year’s World Cup despite years of assurances from FIFA and the brewing company.
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