• London Olympics 2012

London organisers promise to fill stadiums

Lord Coe has promised to make tickets 'affordable and accessible' © Getty Images

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Tickets for the London 2012 Olympics will start at £20, as chairman Lord Coe vowed to fill all Olympic venues "to the rafters".

The London organising committee unveiled its ticketing policy on Friday, with more than 2.5 million tickets available for £20 or less when tickets go on sale in March.

There are a total of 8.8 million available tickets for the Games, with up to 1.3 million places reserved at special prices for children and over-60s, and another 190,000 to be given to London schoolchildren free of charge.

The most expensive tickets for the opening ceremony will cost £2012, but some will be available for just £20.12. By charging up to £725 for major events and finals, the organisers can afford to supply cheaper tickets in a bid to make the Games "affordable and accessible". Some tickets will be available for children to 'pay their age', with kids aged ten paying £10, 11-year-olds £11, up to £16 for 16-year-olds.

The most expensive tickets for the athletics session featuring the men's 100m final will cost £725, while fans will have to pay £450 for the best seats at the swimming finals, £225 for the tennis finals at Wimbledon and £185 for the top seats for the men's football final Wembley.

Games chairman Lord Coe insisted that making the Olympics accessible to all was a high priority.

"We have three clear principles for our ticketing strategy," Coe said. "Tickets need to be affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Tickets are an important revenue stream for us to fund the Games and our ticketing plans have the clear aim of filling our venues to the rafters."

Olympics minister Hugh Robertson added: "I am confident we will have packed stadiums and venues with the range of tickets on offer, meaning that people of all ages and budgets will have the chance to attend London 2012."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.