The 2030 Winter Olympics (French: Jeux olympiques d'hiver de 2030), officially known as the XXVI Olympic Winter Games 2030[3] (French: XXVIes Jeux Olympiques d'hiver) and branded as French Alps 2030 (French: Alpes Françaises 2030), is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 1 to 17 February 2030 in France. The French Alps bid was elected at the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on 24 July 2024, two days before the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics.[4]

XXVI Olympic Winter Games
The Olympic rings and Paralympic agitos above and below the words "French Alps 2030, Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games host"
Provisional logo
LocationFrench Alps, France
Opening1 February 2030 (in 61 months)
Closing17 February 2030
StadiumTBC (opening ceremony)
Promenade des Anglais (closing ceremony) [1][2]
Winter
Summer
2030 Winter Paralympics

This will be the first time in history that the Olympics will be officially hosted by two regions, with Nice as the host of ice sports, except for speed skating. Additional venues will be shared by the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Hautes-Alpes in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and the departments of Haute-Savoie and Savoie in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. These games will be the second consecutive Winter Olympic Games to be hosted in the Alps, following the 2026 Winter Olympics, hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.[5]

Bidding process

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The new IOC bidding process was approved at the 134th IOC Session on 24 June 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The key proposals, driven by the relevant recommendations from Olympic Agenda 2020, are:[6][7]

  • Establish a permanent, ongoing dialogue to explore and create interest among cities/regions/countries and National Olympic Committees for any Olympic event
  • Create two Future Host Commissions (Summer and Winter Games) to oversee interest in future Olympic events and report to the IOC executive board
  • Give the IOC Session more influence by having non-executive board members form part of the Future Host Commissions.

The IOC also modified the Olympic Charter to increase its flexibility in choosing hosts by making the date of elections more flexible and allowing multiple cities, regions, or countries to host instead of only single cities, regions or countries.

According to the Future Host Commission's rules of conduct, the new IOC bidding system is divided into 2 dialogue stages:[8]

  • Continuous dialogue involving non-committal discussions between the IOC and interested parties (City/Region/Country/NOC interested in hosting) with regard to hosting future Olympic events.
  • Targeted dialogue with one or more interested parties—called preferred host(s)—as instructed by the IOC Executive Board. This follows a recommendation by the Future Host Commission as a result of continuous dialogue. Following a recommendation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games, the IOC Executive Board (EB) on 29 November 2023 invited the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF) into "Targeted Dialogue" towards hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2030 in the French Alps.[9]

Host selection

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View of Mont Blanc from Les Arcs 1950 ski resort.

The French Alps was conditionally[10] confirmed as the host of the 2030 Winter Olympics at the 142nd IOC Session on 24 July 2024 in Paris, France, pending the resolution of financial issues. As per the new format of choosing future Olympic Games host cities from the IOC's Agenda 2020, the vote was in the form of a referendum to the 95 IOC delegates.[11] Like the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics, the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics were awarded simultaneously; the first to France and the second to the United States. The country had previously bid for the 2018 edition, with Annecy as its city, but lost to Pyeongchang. France decided to bid for the Winter Games again 13 years after Annecy's failure.

 
Map of the 2030 Winter Games venues in the French Alps.

These will be the first Winter Olympics since the 1980 Winter Olympics in which the host city won the hosting rights without competing against other host cities in voting.

2030 Winter Olympics host city election
City NOC name Yes No Abs
French Alps   France 84 4 7

Organisation

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Due to financial concerns triggered by the 2024 French political crisis, the country was selected to host the games "conditionally." The IOC stated that the French authorities "must now deliver key financial guarantees in the coming months" to confirm the selection.[10][12]

Development and preparations

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The impacts of climate change have become a central focus of the International Olympic Committee in planning the Winter Olympics. According to the IOC, the number of NOCs capable of hosting the Winter Olympics—which require access to snow competition venues with adequate temperature and snowfall—has declined to "practically just 10-12".[13]

As a result of these challenges, the decision on the 2030 Winter Olympics host city was delayed until 24 July 2024 to allow the IOC more time to carefully plan the future of the Winter Olympics.[14][15] The IOC awarded both the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics at the 142nd IOC Session in Paris, on the eve of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Venues

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The organizers have not yet decided where or in which of the hosting cities the opening ceremony will take place. The closing ceremony will take place at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.[16] During the bid process, the only sport in which it was not certain where it would be held was speed skating. Among the alternatives studied were the construction of a temporary track in Nice or sending the competitions to another place in France or a neighboring country. Within the sustainability proposal made by the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 2030, the mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo announced that the city, which hosted the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, was invited by the organizers of this edition to host the speed skating events at Oval Lingotto, since this is the closest competition venue to France.[17]

Nice Cluster

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The Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where the closing ceremony is scheduled to take place.
Venue Events Capacity Status
New arena Figure skating 10,000 Planned
Short track speed skating
Allianz Riviera[18] Ice hockey 17,000 (men's) Existing, the stadium will be temporarily divided into two covered arenas
17,000 (women's)
Palais Nikaïa Curling 4,600 Existing
Nice Olympic Village TBA Additional
Palais des Congrès de Nice Official Press Centre N/A
Marché d'Intéret National Fleurs International Broadcast Centre Existing, renovated
Promenade des Anglais Closing Ceremony TBA Temporary

Briançon Cluster

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Venue Events Capacity Status
Briançon Freestyle skiing & Snowboarding (aerials, moguls, halfpipe) 3,500-5,000 Existing, renovated
Montgenèvre Freestyle skiing & Snowboarding (big air, slopestyle, parallel giant slalom) 3,500-5,000
TBA Snowboarding (cross) TBA TBA
Freestyle skiing (ski cross)
Briançon Olympic Village TBA Existing

Savoie Cluster

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View of the Tremplin du Praz also used during the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Venue Events Capacity Status
La Plagne Bobsleigh 15,000-16,000 Existing, renovated
Luge
Skeleton
Courchevel Ski jumping TBA Existing
Nordic combined
Méribel Alpine skiing (women's) 23,000
Nordic combined
Courchevel Alpine skiing (men's)
Nordic combined
Pole Savoie Olympic Village TBA Additional
La Plagne Olympic Village TBA Existing

Haute-Savoie Cluster

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Venue Events Capacity Status
La Clusaz Cross-Country Skiing 12,500 Existing
Le Grand-Bornand Biathlon 12,000-15,000
Haute-Savoie Olympic Village TBA

Turin

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Venue Events Capacity Status
Oval Lingotto, Turin Long track speed skating 8,250 Existing

Sports

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On 1 November 2024, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced they were preparing to bid for the inclusion of 3x3 ice hockey, which is a discipline that has been used at the Winter Youth Olympics since 2020.[19]

The International Olympic Committee approved at the 142nd IOC Session the initial sports programme: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating, and skiing. The disciplines in each sport will be determined in late 2025.[20]

Broadcasting rights

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In France, pay television and streaming rights are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery via Eurosport,[21] with free-to-air coverage owned by France Télévisions under a sublicense agreement with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).[22] On 16 January 2023, the IOC announced that it had renewed its European broadcast rights agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery. The agreement, covering from 2026 to 2032, includes pay television and streaming rights to the Summer, Winter, and Youth Olympics on Eurosport and Discovery+ in 49 European territories. Free-to-air rights packages were concurrently awarded to the EBU and its members to cover at least 100 hours of each Winter Olympics,[21] with EBU member France Télévisions agreeing to broadcast the Games in France.[22]

Territory Rights holder Ref
Albania RTSH [23]
Asia Infront Sports & Media [24][25]
Australia Nine [26][27]
Austria ORF [28]
Belgium RTBF, VRT [29][30]
Brazil Grupo Globo [31]
Bulgaria BNT [32]
Canada CBC/Radio-Canada [33]
China CMG [34]
Croatia HRT [35]
Czech Republic ČT [36]
Denmark DR, TV 2 [37]
Europe (except Russia and Belarus) EBU, Warner Bros. Discovery [38]
Estonia ERR [39]
Finland Yle [40]
France France Télévisions [22]
Germany ARD, ZDF [41]
Greece ERT [42]
Hungary MTVA [43]
Iceland RÚV [44]
Ireland RTÉ [45]
Israel Sports Channel [46]
Italy RAI [47]
Japan Japan Consortium [48]
Latvia LTV [49]
Kosovo RTK [50]
Lithuania LRT [51]
Montenegro RTCG [52]
Netherlands NOS [53]
Norway NRK [54]
Poland TVP [55]
Slovakia STVR [56]
Slovenia RTV [57]
Korea JTBC [58]
Spain RTVE [59]
Sweden SVT [60]
Switzerland SRG SSR [61]
Ukraine Suspilne [62]
United Kingdom BBC [63]
United States NBCUniversal [64]

References

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  1. ^ "Olympic Winter Games French Alps 2030: Top facts you need to know about the host". 26 July 2024. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  2. ^ "A Closing Ceremony Outside The Stadium". 26 April 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Olympic Host Contract – Principles" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  4. ^ Gonzalez, Isabel (7 December 2022). "IOC delays selection of 2030 Winter Olympics host after climate change and sustainability discussions". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  5. ^ "How to get to the Dolomites and Cortina d'Ampezzo". Dolomites Guide. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Future Olympic Games elections to be more flexible". International Olympic Committee. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Evolution of the revolution: IOC transforms future Olympic Games elections". International Olympic Committee. 26 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Future Host Commissions: Terms of Reference" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 3 October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  9. ^ "The French Alps and Salt Lake City-Utah invited into respective Targeted Dialogues to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2030 and 2034". International Olympic Committee. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  10. ^ a b Grohmann, Karolos (24 July 2024). "France conditionally confirmed as 2030 Winter Games hosts, IOC says". Reuters.
  11. ^ IOC MEDIA [@iocmedia] (24 July 2024). "THE RESULTS ARE OUT! Results of the vote of the 142nd IOC Session on the host of the XXVIth Olympic Winter Games: #FrenchAlps2030. ⬇️" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Grohmann, Karolos (23 July 2024). "French 2030 winter Games bid faces conditional vote due to lack of guarantees, IOC says". Reuters. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. ^ Wilson, Steve (22 December 2023). "The heat is on". olympics.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
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  30. ^ "VRT en Sporza verwerven uitzendrechten voor Olympische Spelen 2026 - 2032" [VRT and Sporza acquire broadcasting rights for Olympics 2026 - 2032]. VRT (in Dutch). 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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  32. ^ "Българската национална телевизия придоби правата за излъчване на Олимпийските игри до 2032 г" [Bulgarian National Television acquired the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games until 2032] (in Bulgarian). BNT. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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  35. ^ "HRT osigurao prava prijenosa s olimpijskih igara do 2032" [HRT secured broadcast rights from the Olympic Games until 2032.] (in Croatian). HRT. 17 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  36. ^ "Olympijské hry zůstanou v České televizi až do roku 2032" [The Olympic Games will remain on Czech television until 2032]. České televize (in Czech). 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  37. ^ "TV 2 forlænger OL-rettigheder frem til 2032" [TV 2 extends Olympic rights until 2032]. TV 2 (in Danish). 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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  43. ^ "Újabb 8 évre a közmédia kapta az olimpiai játékok közvetítési jogait" [For another 8 years, public media received the rights to broadcast the Olympic Games]. VG (in Hungarian). 16 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
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Winter Olympics
Preceded by XXVI Olympic Winter Games
French Alps

2030
Succeeded by