2034 Winter Olympics
Multi-sport event in Utah, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2034 Winter Olympics, officially the XXVII Olympic Winter Games, and branded as Utah 2034,[1][a] is a future international multi-sport event scheduled to take place in the U.S. state of Utah from February 10 to 26, 2034.
Provisional logo | |
| Location | Utah, United States |
|---|---|
| Opening | February 10, 2034 |
| Closing | February 26, 2034 |
| Stadium | Rice–Eccles Stadium |
Winter Summer
2034 Winter Paralympics | |
The Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) initially nominated Salt Lake City[2] as its preferred candidate on November 29, 2023. The bid was approved on July 24, 2024, during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris, and the games were eventually branded to Utah 2034 in November 2025 to better reflect the surrounding areas also hosting venues.[1] They will be the fifth Winter Olympics, and tenth overall, to be hosted by the United States; having previously hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City will join St. Moritz, Lake Placid, Innsbruck, and Cortina d'Ampezzo as the fifth city to have hosted or co-hosted multiple Winter Olympic Games. This will also be the first Olympics held in the United States that will be branded under a host U.S. state instead of a city.
Bidding process
Under the new bidding process established under Olympic Agenda 2020, the Future Host Commission of the IOC engages in ongoing, non-committal "continuous dialogue" with parties that are interested in hosting a future Olympic Games. The Commission then recommends preferred candidates to be invited to "targeted dialogue" with the IOC Executive Board. In addition, a "host" can now consist of multiple regions or countries rather than just cities.[3][4][5]
Host selection
On November 29, 2023, per the recommendation of the Future Host Commission, the IOC Executive Board invited the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to targeted dialogue, with Salt Lake City named the sole preferred candidate for the 2034 Winter Olympics.[2][6]
During the 142nd IOC Session in Paris on July 24, 2024, Salt Lake City was elected as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics, via a referendum to the 95 IOC delegates.[7]
| Region | NOC name | Yes | No | Abs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City |  United States |
83 | 6 | 6 |
WADA vs USADA conflict
The IOC insisted that Utah agree that it may "terminate Olympic host city contracts in cases where the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the world antidoping code is hindered or undermined." This was intended to undermine the United States Department of Justice's criminal investigation into the allegations that the World Anti-Doping Agency failed to sanction and covered up drug use by Chinese swimmers.[8][9] The Chinese have accused the western mainstream media, in particular The New York Times, of atrocity propaganda against the Chinese athletes.[10] However, IOC president Thomas Bach has attempted to alleviate concerns that the city could lose its second Olympics if organizers do not fulfill an agreement to play a peacemaker between anti-doping authorities. Bach downplayed the gravity of a termination clause that the IOC inserted into Utah's host contract in July.[11]
Development and preparations
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City had left a strong legacy, with venues constructed for the Games (such as Utah Olympic Park) having continued to host international events and world championships; in the 2013–14 period, Utah hosted 16 winter sports events, contributing $27.3 million to the state economy.[12][13][14] The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee stated in 2022 that it was "already in dialogue with the IOC, not yet for a specific year but as part of their evolving process" over the possibility of Salt Lake City hosting a future Winter Olympics; the Committee had named Salt Lake City its preferred candidate for a future U.S. Winter Olympics in 2022, citing its existing infrastructure.[15][16]
A report by the Future Host Commission estimated that the Games will cost $3.9 billion.[17]
Venues
The Games will utilize nearly all of the facilities originally constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics,[18][19] but with some differences:
- Alpine skiing will be hosted only at Snowbasin, instead of split between Snowbasin, Deer Valley, and Park City.
- Big air events will take place at a temporary venue constructed in downtown Salt Lake City at the "Block 85" parking lot across from Delta Center (South Temple and 300 West), the same location where the medals plaza was situated in 2002.[20]
- In a reversal from 2002, ice hockey will take place at Delta Center, while Maverik Center will host figure skating and short-track speed skating.[21][22]
- Curling will be held on a temporary rink at the Salt Palace convention center instead of The Ice Sheet at Ogden; organizers cited an unwillingness to expand the Ogden venue with temporary seating, and a desire to host the event in Salt Lake City proper to capitalize on curling's growing American popularity.[23]
In early-April 2024, organizing committee president Fraser Bullock stated that he would not rule out the possibility that facilities built for new or relocated professional sports teams in Salt Lake City (such as the proposed Power District Stadium, intended for a possible Major League Baseball team) could also be used, noting that the exact venue plans may evolve as the Games draw closer.[20]
As part of the 2024 acquisition of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL) by Ryan Smith and their relocation to Salt Lake City, the city earmarked US$900 million to renovate Delta Center and construct a sports and entertainment district around the arena by October 2027, which will include renovations to the seating bowl to increase its hockey capacity to 17,000 seats with unobstructed views.[24][22]
In February 2026, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church) announced a "significant financial donation" to the Utah 2034 organizing committee, and committed to allowing use of Church-owned property (such as "Block 85", which will return as the medal plaza, and host big air events) as event venues and operational sites.[25]
Salt Lake City Zone[26]
| Venue | Events | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Salt Lake City[23] | Snowboarding (big air) | 30,000[18] | Temporary |
| Freestyle skiing (big air) | |||
| Medals Plaza | |||
| Delta Center | Ice hockey (finals) | 16,070 | Existing |
| Maverik Center | Figure skating | 10,100 | |
| Short track speed skating | |||
| Rice–Eccles Stadium | Opening and Closing Ceremonies | 51,444 | |
| Salt Palace | Curling | 6,500 | |
| International Broadcast Center | N/a | ||
| Main Press Center | N/a | ||
| University of Utah student housing | Olympic Village | 5,000+[18] | Existing, renovated |
| Utah Olympic Oval | Speed skating | 7,500 |
Wasatch Back Zone[26]
| Venue | Events | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Valley | Freestyle skiing (aerials/moguls) | 12,000 | Existing |
| Park City Mountain Resort | Snowboarding (halfpipe/slopestyle) | 15,000 | |
| Freestyle skiing (halfpipe/slopestyle) | |||
| Soldier Hollow | Biathlon | 15,000 | Existing, renovated |
| Cross-country skiing | |||
| Nordic combined | |||
| Utah Olympic Park Track | Bobsleigh | 12,000 | |
| Luge | |||
| Skeleton | |||
| Utah Olympic Park Jumps | Ski jumping | 15,000 | |
| Nordic combined |
Other venues[26]
| Venue | Location | Events | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peaks Ice Arena | Provo | Ice hockey | 10,000 | Existing, renovated |
| Snowbasin Resort | Weber County | Alpine skiing | 19,000 | Existing |
Marketing
The Games were originally billed as Salt Lake City—Utah 2034 upon the approval of the bid, as the changes implemented by Olympic Agenda 2020 allow regions to be credited as Olympic hosts as opposed to only cities. On November 24, 2025, a new provisional emblem was unveiled, shortening the branding of the Games to simply Utah 2034; organizing committee CEO Brad Wilson explained that the new branding was meant to be more inclusive of the surrounding regions hosting the Games alongside Salt Lake City, stating that he "want[ed] everyone in Utah to feel like they're a part of Team 2034, whether they live in our amazing capital city or whether they live in Vernal or Layton." Salt Lake City mayor Erin Mendenhall felt that it "hurt" for the city to not be part of the branding, but that Salt Lake City "always will be" an official Olympic city, and that she wanted the Games to "uplift the state".[1]
Broadcasting
On March 13, 2025, the IOC announced that Comcast would become a "strategic partner" of the organization, which will include the renewal of NBCUniversal's long-running broadcast rights to the Olympic Games in the United States through 2036 under an agreement valued at US$3 billion, and see Comcast partner with the IOC on various technological initiatives, including co-developing new digital advertising opportunities, and assisting Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) with in-venue distribution and its Olympic Video Player service.[27][28] NBCU was reportedly additionally motivated, and willing to pay a slightly higher price than its previous contract, by the 2034 Winter Olympics being hosted by the United States.[28]
