Paris is scaling back its ambitious plans for the Olympic opening ceremony.French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin says the ceremony will be limited to 300,000 people. That's half the amount originally planned. He didn't give a reason why that changed. The minister also mentioned that the current plans allow about a third of spectators to pay for a waterside view, with the rest with free tickets on the river's upper bank. Security is a major concern for the event, with officials stating that it will be a massive operation. "You have a city around the Olympics and Paralympics and some things happen in our society every day. But we are managing it as the organizer. That's our first priority," said Pierre Rabadan, Paris Deputy Mayor of Sport. Tens of thousands of police officers and soldiers will be deployed during the games to ensure safety. The giant show on the River Seine on July 26 will mark the first time an opening ceremony is held outside of a usual stadium setting.French President Emmanuel Macron previously warned that the threat of extremist attacks could move the opening ceremony. He cited deadly extremist attacks that hit Paris in 2015 as an example of the type of severe crisis that could force a rethink.The Associated Press contributed to this report.