VANCOUVER OLYMPICS TICKETS

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Ticket sales for Vancouver 2010 Olympic tickets began in October 2008. On May 6, 2009, spectators can buy tickets for the Vancouver Paralympic Winter Games.

Dates for the Vancouver Winter Olympics are February 12-28, 2010. Dates for the Paralympic Games are March 12-21, 2010.

How to buy Winter Olympics tickets

There will be two million tickets for the 2010 Winter Games and 250,000 tickets for the Vancouver Paralympics. Ticket sales are in three phases. During Phase 1, between October 3 and November 7, 2008, residents of Canada visited vancouver2010.com and submitted one-page ticket and Olympic Experience Package applications.

Between December 8 and 22, the Priority Access Period, Canadian residents who buy any number of tickets have the opportunity to buy more tickets for themselves or others before 2009, when they're made available to the public.

Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre

Canadians without access to the Internet order mail-in Olympics Ticket Request Forms by telephone. The phone number for the Vancouver 2010 Ticket Call Center is 1-800-TICKETS.

Winter Games tickets will be allocated and payments processed at the end of November and in early December, so Olympic ticket holders can book hotels and flights.

Olympic ticket lottery

If demand for 2010 Olympics tickets exceeds the supply, a random lottery will assign tickets fairly for oversubscribed events like the ice hockey finals or the Opening Ceremony. After applicants are informed about assigned tickets and packages, any unsold tickets will be available for purchase by all applicants.

During Phase 2, in early 2009, any Canadian can buy unsold tickets online. Ticket box offices will open prior to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.

How to get the best seats

Seats are assigned from mid- to late-2009, based on the date and time of 2010 Games ticket applications and purchases. Canadian residents can then buy any unsold Vancouver Olympics tickets for remaining seats during Phase 3.

Spectators wanting the best Winter Olympics seats, for the highest prices, can select Category A tickets. Seating maps indicate the categories of tickets available for each venue, including standing room.

American citizens can buy tickets from Jet Set Sports, the authorized ticket sales agent for the USA Olympic Committee. International residents can buy Vancouver 2010 Olympic tickets through their respective National Olympic Committees.

Winter Games ticket prices

Twenty per cent of Olympics tickets cost $25 or less. Fifty per cent of tickets cost $100 or less. Prices include GST (5% goods and sales tax), but exclude additional service and delivery charges. Visa will be the only acceptable credit card, because the company is an Olympic Games sponsor.

Adults, children, seniors, students and the disabled pay the same ticket prices. For some Olympic events, the number of tickets purchased per person is limited.

Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony ticket prices range from $1,100, for Category A seats, to $175 for Category D seats. Closing Ceremony tickets cost from $775 for Category A seats to $175 for Category D.

Olympic competition schedules

There are 86 medal events at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The first Olympic sports event is the normal hill individual qualification for men's ski jumping on February 12 at Whistler Olympic Park. The final event of the 21st Winter Olympic Games is the men's ice hockey gold medal game on February 28, at General Motors Place.

The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games has 64 medal events. Men's and ladies' alpine skiing is the first Paralympic sport event, on March 13, at Whistler Creekside. Men's and ladies' cross country skiing 1km sprint finals are the final Paralympic events on March 21, at Whistler Paralympic Park.

Hourly competition schedules for other Olympic sports are on the official Olympics website.

Tickets for Olympic events

Besides selling tickets for Winter Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the official Vancouver 2010 Olympics website and sales agencies also sell tickets for 17 Winter Olympic sports.

Website visitors can learn how to buy Winter Games tickets and how to exchange and donate tickets online. Information on Vancouver 2010 Olympics packages and merchandise, the Cultural Olympiad, torch relays and victory ceremonies is also on the website.

Victory Ceremony Tickets

Each night, during the Olympics, Victory Ceremonies will be held at BC Place. Thirty thousand tickets will be available for each Olympic Victory Ceremony. Twenty thousand Victory Ceremony tickets will cost $22.

In 2009, 10,000 free Victory Ceremony tickets will be made available. Nightly Victory Ceremonies honor winning athletes each day. Olympic winners receive medals by the Olympic Flame. A celebration concert follows, with music, national anthems and big name performers.

Vancouver Olympics packages

During Phase 1, Olympic Experience Packages (OEPs) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), are convenient ways to attend several sporting events.

The 58 Vancouver Olympics ticket packages combine tickets for sports events on different days, allowing sufficient time for transportation and early arrival at competition venues.

Each Olympic Experience Package includes at least three sporting events held on three to six days in different venues. OEPs cost $140 to $1,267. Prices depend on the cost of the individual sports events in the packages.

Twenty-five City Olympic Experience Packages include sports and ceremonies in Vancouver, West Vancouver and/or Richmond, BC. Eight OEPs feature Whistler BC sports competitions. Seventeen mixed packages combine sport events and ceremonies in Whistler, Vancouver, West Vancouver and Richmond.

Five City Locals Olympic Experience Packages and three Whistler Locals OEPs allow residents to enjoy between four and six Olympic competitions on weekends and evenings. There are also packages for women's and men's curling tournaments, ice hockey and cross-country skiing combined with ski jumping.

Pre-Olympics tickets

Prior to the 2010 Winter Games, sporting events will test Olympic venues, staff and operations. Canadians spectators can buy tickets for these competition and non-competition sporting events.

Tickets are available for the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on February 2 to 8, 2009 at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Tickets for the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track event are also available.

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Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: www.vancouver2010.com

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