One month before the validation of the 2030 Winter Olympics venue map, the future of ice events in Nice remains uncertain. The IOC is now pushing for a consolidation in Lyon. Éric Ciotti denounces “permanent reversals” while Charles-Ange Ginésy confirms the financial support of the Alpes-Maritimes Department for Nice’s infrastructure.
The battle over the ice center for the 2030 Winter Olympics is taking a new turn. A consultation meeting on the venue map is scheduled for this Friday, May 29. But in Nice, concerns are growing. Lyon is now emerging as a credible alternative to host ice hockey events, which were promised to the capital of the Côte d’Azur just a few months ago.
The International Olympic Committee is pushing for a consolidation of ice events in the Lyon metropolitan area. An approach encouraged by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which opposes separating men’s and women’s tournaments.
Since Éric Ciotti’s election as mayor of Nice on March 22, the issue has become tense. The mayor continues to refuse the installation of a temporary ice rink in the Allianz Riviera stadium. A solution that would render the venue unavailable for several months.
In a statement, Éric Ciotti denounces “contradictory statements” and “scenarios (that) change constantly.” The mayor of Nice believes that “the very presence of the Games in Nice is being called into question.”
Éric Ciotti also states that the use of Allianz Riviera would not last “a few weeks,” but “at least nine months, an entire season of OGC Nice.” Information confirmed, according to the statement, by Edgar Grospiron, president of COJOP, and Christophe de Kepper, executive director of the Olympics at the IOC.
The mayor of Nice also asserts that he refuses “any financial recklessness and any wastage of public money.” A letter has been sent to the President of the Republic to denounce a matter that could not be guided “neither by political considerations nor by certain interests of large private groups.”
Charles-Ange Ginésy confirms the support of the Alpes-Maritimes Department
In this tense context, Charles-Ange Ginésy offers his support to Éric Ciotti. During the plenary session on Friday, May 29, 2026, the Alpes-Maritimes Department confirmed its financial commitment to infrastructure related to the 2030 Winter Olympics in Nice.
The department president announced support that could reach 40 million euros depending on the projects selected.
“The 2030 Winter Olympic Games are a fantastic opportunity for the Alpes-Maritimes!”, declared Charles-Ange Ginésy. The Department president adds: “we want this Olympic legacy to be useful, sustainable and fully integrated into the sporting and tourism dynamic of our department.”
The Alpes-Maritimes Department affirms its desire to support the creation of facilities necessary near Allianz Riviera. The local authority wishes to frame the Games within “a logic of sustainable development and long-term territorial interest.”
Anthony Borré accuses Éric Ciotti of weakening Nice’s candidacy
The municipal opposition now openly criticizes the handling of the Olympic matter. Anthony Borré, former first deputy of Christian Estrosi, believes that Nice risks losing the ice events because of the positions defended by Éric Ciotti. “What Renaud Muselier and Christian Estrosi took three years to build, Éric Ciotti will have lost in three months,” asserts Anthony Borré.
The former elected official also mentions significant economic consequences for the territory. “It’s 400 million euros in investments that will not take place in Nice, it’s 5,700 jobs that will not be created, it’s one ice rink fewer, it’s 300 fewer homes […] Nice could lose 800 million euros in media returns,” continues Anthony Borré.
The matter must now be resolved before the official presentation of the venue map for the French Alps 2030 to the IOC, scheduled for June 24 and 25 in Lausanne. By then, Lyon appears to have gained ground in the race for the ice center of the 2030 Winter Olympics.
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