After Euro 2016, the finals of the TOP 14, and even the start of a Tour de France stage this year, the Allianz Riviera could host several matches of the football tournament during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The announcement was made earlier this week during the last City Council meeting of the year. Aiming for economic revival, Nice hopes to leverage events, particularly organizing the Olympic Games (from July 26 to August 11) and Paralympics (August 28 to September 8) of Paris 2024. While almost all events are expected to take place in the capital (with surfing being an exception, among others), not all football matches can be held at the Parc des Princes or Stade de France.
The City Council wants to seize this opportunity to bring a little Olympic magic to Nice and benefit from the media attention generated by the world’s largest sporting event, watched by 3.6 billion viewers. Although the economic impact is estimated at 15 million euros, the list of contenders is long. Only seven sites will have the opportunity to host multiple matches from the nine contenders for logistical reasons.
To be selected, the city needs to impress the Olympic committee, which will grant a subsidy of €500,000 to cover the stadium’s operating costs. Additionally, the fan zone setup will cost around €400,000, along with a mobility plan of €200,000 and a communication plan of €100,000. In total, Nice’s investment would amount to €1.2 million. This price is almost half that of Euro 2016 (approximately €2.2 million), which apparently impressed the City Council, leading them to unanimously vote in favor of this resolution.
For now, no date has been set for the validation of this bid or for the designation by the International Olympic Committee.
