Alps 2030 Olympics: How much it will really cost and why experts are alarmed
Olympic Games 2026 (photo: Getty Images)
The organizing committee for the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in the French Alps, has approved the financial plan. This decision marks a key step in preparing for the large-scale sporting event, reports Inside the Games.
How the funds will be allocated
The budget for the 2030 Winter Olympics in France will total €2.1 billion, covering all costs for organization, infrastructure, and hosting the competitions.
The government and the host regions, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, will cover 26% of the budget. From the state treasury, 362 million euros will be allocated.
The remaining 74% will come from private sources: sponsors, television rights sales, licenses, tickets, and hospitality programs.
Edgar Grospiron, Olympic freestyle champion and head of the organizing committee, emphasized that approving the budget is a decisive step in preparing for the Games.
"This budget sets the course, giving us the means to fulfill our mission," he said.
Challenges for organizers are climate and logistics
Key preparation topics for the Games will include environmental sustainability and addressing the effects of global warming.
Due to the considerable distances between venues, organizers plan to optimize the transport system. In particular, the construction of a lift connecting the separate ski centers is under consideration.
The Olympic program will include four main clusters, located up to 500 km apart from Grand-Bornand to Nice.
Ice hockey and curling competitions are planned to take place in Nice. Other venues include Serre-Chevalier, Courchevel, Méribel, Val-d'Isère, La Plagne, Isola-2000, and La Clusaz.
The location for the opening ceremony has not yet been determined.
Historic return of the Games to France
This will be France's first Winter Olympic Games since Albertville in 1992 and the seventh time France has hosted the Olympic Games in total.
France has previously hosted three Summer Olympics in 1900, 1924, and 2024 and three Winter Olympics in Chamonix (1924), Grenoble (1968), and Albertville (1992).
The competitions in the Alps are scheduled for February 1-17, 2030, and the Paralympic Games will take place from March 1-10.
Following France, the next Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2026, and in 2034 in Salt Lake City, USA.
Earlier, we shared five interesting facts about the 2026 Olympic medals.
We also reported that NHL hockey players will participate in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years.
