— Published January 13, 2025

The 2030 Alps ball is about to open, Grenoble joins the dance

Events Focus

The important thing is to participate! Sixty-two years later, Grenoble hopes to be able to join in the Olympic celebrations again. The prefecture of Isère, host city of the Winter Games in 1968, is closely following the development of the French Alps 2030 project. The outlines of the project should be drawn up in the coming months, and the local authorities intend to jump on the bandwagon. The president of the Métropole, Christophe Ferrari (photo above), has begun his charm offensive. With arguments that have a lot to weigh in the balance.

A match between Grenoble and Nice

At the beginning of December, Grenoble was able to show its potential on the ice of the Polesud ice rink, where the final of the ISU Grand Prix of figure skating was held. An event of international dimension, in the presence of Olympic medalists such as Yuma Kagiyama and Kaori Sakamoto. "A real success" according to Christophe Ferrari, who addressed a letter on December 23 to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to offer Grenoble's services as the site of the 2030 Winter Games.

"I reiterate the availability of the Metropolis, he emphasizes, intensifying his call with his foot. I say this to be useful both for the general debate and for our metropolis, which always wants to be in this dynamic of hosting high-flying events. We know how to do it." The elected official also put forward the argument of moderation and budget control, which we know is decisive in this matter. "I tell myself that in the financial period that our country may experience, it is perhaps good to rely on already existing equipment and territories that have the knowledge. Let's be reasonable."

In November, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, reiterated his intention to build "a real ice rink of a size worthy of Nice" to accommodate most ice sports, “next to the Allianz Riviera”. This stadium, whose pitch is usually used by OGC Nice football players, should host ice hockey if current plans are to be believed. Will the cake be shared? Opened in 2001, the Polesud ice rink is one of the largest in France with a capacity of over 4.000 spectators. In addition to skating competitions, it serves as a home for the Brûleurs de loups, eight-time French ice hockey champions. Now, it will be necessary to negotiate.

The preview of the Allianz Riviera in ice hockey configuration for 2030.

How beautiful the mountain is

Christophe Ferrari also placed Grenoble in the running to organize the opening ceremony. The president of the metropolis played the card of the Stade des Alpes, a 20.000-seat stadium that notably hosted five matches of the Women's World Cup in 2019. "It would be quite amazing to attend an opening ceremony and see the mountains at the same time. It would all be incredibly meaningful.", he says, referring to the majestic setting surrounding the stadium.

The application has been submitted, and at an interesting time. The organizing committee, whose creation has been awaited for many weeks, should indeed be set up shortly. "We will work hand in hand with Michel Barnier on this subject, he must meet the regional presidents soon, as must I., commented Sports Minister Marie Barsacq last Thursday. We will probably have a constituent general meeting at the beginning of February.”

According to the daily L'EquipeMichel Barnier met last Tuesday "the regional presidents and the interministerial delegate for the Games, Pierre-Antoine Molina, for an update on the COJOP but also the Olympic Works Delivery Company (SOLIDEO) ». The process will therefore soon begin. Deciding the match between Nice and Grenoble will not be a priority, but the formation of the COJOP will allow for the acceleration of exchanges. And, perhaps, for certain trends to emerge.