France’s 2030 Winter Olympics finally has a confirmed venue map. After months of political disputes, competing bids, and uncertainty over where several marquee events would be held, the executive board of the Alpes 2030 Organising Committee (COJOP) officially validated its venue proposal on Friday, June 19. The plan will now be presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Commission before a final vote by the organising committee later this month.
The biggest unresolved question centered around alpine skiing and one of the most iconic ski resorts in the world emerged victorious. Val d’Isère has officially been selected to host the men’s and women’s slalom and giant slalom events at the 2030 Winter Olympics, ending months of uncertainty and fending off a late challenge from rival French resort Méribel. The men’s and women’s speed events — super-G and downhill — will be hosted by Courchevel, which is part of Les 3 Vallées, the largest interconnected ski resort in the world. Together, the two resorts will form the centerpiece of Olympic alpine skiing in 2030.
For ski fans, Val d’Isère is one of the sport’s most storied venues. The resort produced French legend Jean-Claude Killy, who famously swept all three alpine skiing gold medals at the 1968 Grenoble Olympics. To honor the French ski racer, the ski areas of Val d’Isère and neighboring Tignes are interconnected to form L’Espace Killy. More recently, Val d’Isère has become one of the most respected World Cup venues on the calendar, regularly hosting men’s and women’s races on the demanding Face de Bellevarde.
The organizing committee acknowledged that Méribel remained an important partner in the Olympic project but confirmed that Val d’Isère ultimately secured the technical alpine events.
The newly approved venue plan organizes the Games into four primary clusters spread across the French Alps and beyond. The Haute-Savoie cluster will host Nordic events, with La Clusaz and Le Grand-Bornand staging cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions. The Savoie cluster will serve as the alpine heart of the Games, with alpine skiing events divided between Val d’Isère and Courchevel, while La Plagne hosts sliding sports. The Briançon cluster in the Hautes-Alpes will stage freestyle skiing and snowboarding events. Meanwhile, most indoor ice sports will be concentrated in the city of Lyon.
One of the more unusual decisions remains unchanged: Olympic speed skating will take place outside France altogether at the renowned Thialf in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. Rather than construct an expensive new speed skating oval for a two-week event, organizers opted to use one of the world’s premier existing facilities.
The venue map also confirms a major shift away from the original Olympic bid. Ice events, including figure skating, curling, short track, and ice hockey, were initially expected to take place in Nice. However, political opposition and disagreements over temporary venue construction ultimately derailed those plans. Instead, Lyon will now host the majority of indoor ice competitions.
The move also creates uncertainty around the Closing Ceremony. Organizers had originally envisioned a spectacular outdoor ceremony along Nice’s famous waterfront. Alternative locations are now being explored, including sites in the Alps themselves.
The proposed Paralympic venue plan centers around three locations. Courchevel will host Para alpine skiing and Para snowboard events, La Clusaz will stage Nordic competitions, and Lyon will again serve as the hub for ice sports. The Paralympic venue plan still requires approval from the International Paralympic Committee.
While Friday’s announcement effectively settles the major venue battles, a few formal hurdles remain. The IOC Executive Commission will review the proposal in the coming days before the Alpes 2030 General Assembly votes on final approval. Individual host communities must also formally confirm participation, and technical details remain to be finalized with the various international federations. Still, after nearly two years of uncertainty, the broad picture is now clear.
