Beyond the bucket hat: What can governments learn from the volunteers of the Paris 2024 Games? 

The opportunity to volunteer at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games was too good to pass on.  

The prospect of mingling with people from around the world and witnessing the Games up close was a major draw. But what truly set this experience apart was how France embraced and uplifted the role of its volunteers, placing them at the heart of the Olympic experience in a way that felt both deliberate and unprecedented. 

Volunteers at the heart of Paris 2024 

Volunteering at the Games is a tradition stretching back decades. The 2012 London volunteers – or Games Makers – infused a fresh perspective that France took to another level. In Paris 2024, the volunteers, though often called hidden helpers, became visible symbols of the Games’ spirit.  

Even on hectic days, volunteers running late for assignments at the Stade de France were not held up at crowded police checkpoints. Instead, attendees parted to let us go first because we were volunteers.  

These moments underscored just how much the volunteers had come to mean to the Games in Paris. The uniforms also took on their own prestige and were in high demand. We rebuffed more than a few offers for the emblematic bucket hat.  

Life inside the stadium 

Some assignments, naturally, were more enticing than others, like being stationed at the Stade de France for 11 days – a vast, complicated venue that seats over 70,000 people with multiple events throughout the day.  

Flexibility was key, as we were often asked to assume various roles with little notice, such as a bouncer, usher, conflict resolution specialist, customer service representative, photographer, escort for those in need of additional support, guide, and even a cheerleader.  

Days were long, with some particularly hot days and back-to-back assignments that had you briefly questioning the decision to volunteer, especially after running around the stadium more than a few times during the day. So too did the unexpected fights and guests that were inclined to treat seat assignments as mere suggestions. Yet the exuberance and enthusiasm of the attendees made up for all this. 

Uniting people 

Volunteering at an event like the Olympics represents more than just service, it is a chance for citizens, whether from small villages or cities, to engage in a powerful collective experience. In a world full of tensions – between countries, cultures and communities – that is precious.  

Volunteers came from all walks of life, bringing together people from urban centres and rural areas, from various backgrounds and perspectives. Offering citizens an opportunity to participate in a significant event like the Games demonstrates the reach and power of civic involvement on a grand scale.  

It also offered the opportunity to connect with athletes – and their remarkable journeys. There is certainly much more to be done to provide further exposure to the achievements of Paralympians. This convergence of diverse profiles, all working to deliver the Games, was not only enriching but also a reminder of its power to build bridges and connect people.  

Building skills 

Volunteering also offered the chance to test – and strengthen – both hard and soft skills. On the technical side, the Games offered a unique insight into event planning, logistics, and operations -scheduling, managing crowd flow, co-ordinating VIPs and press, and overseeing venue management.  

But it also helped develop many transferable skills. For example, the ability to respond to crises in an intense, fast-paced environment. The challenges were constant, lost accreditations, last-minute schedule changes, crowd surges, often in situations where rules and processes were shifting. Leadership came into play, too, since many situations required independent judgment and initiative. 

There were also moments when participants were often exuberant, demanding or distressed. Each of these interactions became an opportunity to practice diplomacy, empathy, and deliver high-quality customer service. 

And of course, there was teamwork – with a twist. In many cases, teams changed every shift. That meant traditional ways of building trust and learning how different members of the team worked had to be replaced with faster ways of connecting, communicating and delivering results.  

All these skills will stick with volunteers long after the Games. 

Bridging divides and building trust 

The Paris 2024 Games showed that volunteering is more than service, and its impacts more than fleeting. It is a form of civic participation that builds skills, connects people across divides, and strengthens trust in institutions.

For many who took part, the experience has encouraged them to continue saying yes to future opportunities at events big or small, turning a single experience into a lifetime of involvement. As governments look to broaden public participation, major events like the Olympics and Paralympics can serve as powerful laboratories for inclusive engagement.  

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The OECD Legacy of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games report  

For further reading, the OECD’s Legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games report, prepared by OECD experts Ekaterina Travkina and Martha Bloom, demonstrates how future hosts can build on Paris’ example and make global events more sustainable, inclusive, and transformative for local communities.