2034 Winter Olympics
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Get ready for the ultimate winter spectacle! The XXVII Olympic Winter Games, officially branded as Utah 2034, are coming to the breathtaking landscapes of the U.S. state of Utah in February 2034.
Salt Lake City, initially nominated as the preferred candidate, officially secured its spot as host in July 2024. Now, with branding expanded to Utah 2034, these Games will embrace the entire region, a first for the United States. This marks the fifth Winter Olympics and tenth overall to be hosted on American soil, with Salt Lake City joining an elite club of cities that have hosted multiple Winter Games.
The path to Utah 2034 was paved by Olympic Agenda 2020, allowing for a more inclusive bidding process. Salt Lake City was invited to targeted dialogue and ultimately elected by IOC delegates in Paris.
A key point of discussion involved the World Anti-Doping Agency, with the IOC insisting on full respect for WADA's authority. While concerns were raised, IOC President Thomas Bach has worked to reassure that the Games will proceed, with a focus on fostering cooperation between anti-doping bodies.
The legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics is strong, with existing infrastructure ready to welcome athletes. The Games are projected to cost $3.9 billion, with many of the iconic venues from 2002 being utilized once again. Expect some exciting changes, like alpine skiing exclusively at Snowbasin and a new temporary venue for big air events. Curling will find a new home at the Salt Palace, bringing the action closer to the heart of Salt Lake City.
As plans evolve, new sporting facilities, including those for potential professional sports teams, are being considered. The acquisition of the Arizona Coyotes and their relocation to Salt Lake City as the Utah Hockey Club has also brought exciting developments, with Delta Center set to host ice hockey and the Maverik Center preparing for figure skating and short track speed skating.
The marketing for Utah 2034 emphasizes inclusivity, with the branding reflecting the entire state, not just the host city. This ensures that everyone in Utah feels a part of this monumental event.
In terms of broadcasting, Comcast, through NBCUniversal, has secured the rights through 2036, a testament to the enduring appeal of the Olympic Games and the excitement surrounding the 2034 Winter Olympics in the United States. Prepare for an unforgettable celebration of sport, unity, and the spirit of the Olympics, right here in Utah!
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The 2034 Winter Olympics, officially the XXVII Olympic Winter Games, and branded as Utah 2034, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place in the U.S. state of Utah, United States, from February 10–26, 2034.
The Future Host Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) initially nominated Salt Lake City 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. 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.
=== 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.
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.
==== 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. The Chinese have accused the western mainstream media, in particular The New York Times, of atrocity propaganda against the Chinese athletes. 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.
== 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. 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.
A report by the Future Host Commission estimated that the Games will cost $3.9 billion.
=== Venues ===
The Games will utilize nearly all the venues originally constructed for the 2002 Winter Olympics, but with some differences: alpine skiing will be hosted only at Snowbasin, instead of split between Snowbasin, Deer Valley, and Park City, while big air events will take place at a temporary, 25,000-seat venue constructed on the former parking lot of the medal plaza from 2002. Curling will be held on a temporary rink at the Salt Palace 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.
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.
Later that month, it was announced that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith had acquired the hockey operations of the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL), and would relocate them to Salt Lake City as the Utah Hockey Club (now Utah Mammoth). As part of the relocation, US$900 million was earmarked by the city to renovate Delta Center and construct a sports and entertainment district around the arena by October 2027. On October 8, 2024, ahead of Utah Hockey Club's first home game, Smith announced that Delta Center would host ice hockey, with the Maverik Center hosting figure skating and short track speed skating instead. Bullock stated that he was caught off-guard by Smith's early announcement of the plan, but that he was "very excited to partner with Ryan and the NHL."
==== Salt Lake County ====
==== Weber County ====
==== Summit and Wasatch Counties ====
==== Utah County ====
== 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".
== 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. 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.
== See also ==
2034 Winter Paralympics
List of IOC country codes
== References ==
Notes
Citations
== External links ==
IOC Website: Utah 2034
Organizing Committee Website
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