— Published on December 21, 2025

The Nice ice rink at the heart of the municipal elections

French Alps 2030 Focus

The map of venues for the 2030 Winter Games is not yet finalized, but the organizing committee has already outlined the main points. Notably, ice sports will largely take place in Nice, where the Allianz Riviera, home of OGC Nice, will be converted into a hockey arena. A new ice rink will also be built nearby to provide the city with a modern facility capable of hosting, among other things, the skating events. This is provided the plan doesn't change between now and then, which isn't impossible given the upcoming municipal elections in March.

A budget of 218 million euros?

When questioned about a change of plans in the spring, the president of the COJOP, Edgar Gospiron, stated that the project had been " validated by all stakeholders, including the IOC, the relevant international federation, and the technical teams of the bid committee ", based on a " rigorous analysis of the infrastructure, international sporting requirements and the overall balance of the site plan ».

Several dissenting voices have been raised, however, mainly highlighting the cost of these developments: the conversion of the Allianz Arena into an ice rink, including the construction of a roof, is estimated at 80 million euros, and will incidentally force OGC Nice to find another stadium for several months. The construction of the new ice rink, on the other hand, would cost 138 million. A budgetary madnesssaid MP Frédéric Maillot. It's a rich person's whim that we can't afford. »

In November, he pointed out the existence of ice rinks in Marseille or Pralognan-la-Vanoise, which hosted curling during the 1992 Winter Olympics. In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, another option could be the LDLC Arena in Lyon, used for the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2028. The subject is politically sensitive since such a relocation, while making financial sense, would unbalance the map of venues between the two host regions… The city of Gap also reiterated its willingness to host events, potentially curling, at the Alp'Arena, which was completely renovated about ten years ago.

"A sports complex that will endure with multiple activities"

The issue has naturally arisen in the campaign for the upcoming municipal elections, the first round of which is scheduled for March 15. Juliette Chesnel, candidate for the Union of the Left, believes… mind-boggling "To spend so much on this project." Further to the right, Eric Ciotti also expressed his opposition. There are other solutions " he asserted on France 5, without elaborating further. I do not want the Allianz Riviera stadium to be used, blocked for several months, and for our team to be forced to play elsewhere, at a cost of 80 million euros. "In this context, maintaining plan A depends largely on the re-election of Christian Estrosi.

First elected in 2008, the former French motorcycle champion is aiming for a fourth term. In favor of the project presented for the Winter Games, he emphasizes that the city would only pay a portion of the cost of the new ice rink (approximately 25 million euros). It's an opportunity, and it will also provide a hockey arena. It all makes sense. " the mayor assures in L'Equipe while the upkeep of the aging Jean Bouin ice rink costs the municipality 1,2 million euros per year. More than just an ice rink, it will be a long-lasting sports complex with multiple activities for the entire metropolitan area. “The outcome of the anticipated duel between Estrosi and Ciotti will provide clear indications about the future of the project,” added Renaud Muselier, president of the PACA region, to the press recently. The organizing committee for the French Alps 2030 event will be watching this closely, as Edgar Grospiron has announced his goal of finalizing the map of sites by June.