2030 Olympics French Alps Winter Games Schedule and Possible New Events

The 2026 Winter Olympics are approaching their conclusion. Sunday's closing ceremony will draw the curtain on the Milano Cortina Games and give fans time to look back on an incredible two weeks of competition.

Of course, it's never too early to look ahead, and the Winter Olympics will be back in 2030. For the fourth time in history, the winter games will be held in France, specially, in the French Alps.

As was the case in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, the 2030 French Alps Games figures to be a celebration of the host region and its history.

From Olympics.com:

"At the 145th Session, held shortly before Milano Cortina 2026, the organisers of French Alps 2030 reaffirmed their ambition to deliver a 'spectacular' Olympic Winter Games that will be 'deeply rooted in the local area and guided by a strong commitment to environmental responsibility.'"

While many details about the 2030 Winter Olympics have not been finalized, including the logo, here's what we know.

Dates, Location for 2030 Winter Olympics Set

The French Alps' Olympic bid was officially approved in 2024. The games are set to be held in the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, primarily in the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Hautes-Alpes.

Naturally, the Alps themselves will provide the ground for the downhill events.

According to Emran Shibeshi of NBCOlympics.com, the plan is for the 2030 Olympics to utilize a structure similar to the Milano Cortina Games, with events simultaneously spread across different zones.

Per Shibeshi, the French Alps Games will have the Nice Zone, the Savoie Zone, the Haute-Savoie Zone, and the Briancon Zone. While the opening ceremony hasn't been set yet, the closing ceremony is planned for the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.

The 2030 Winter Olympics are slated to open on February 1 and close on February 17.

New Events Possible for the 2030 Winter Games

The 2030 Winter Olympics will feature many standards of the games. While the full program hasn't been finalized, seven sports have been approved. Fans will see a variety of disciplines in biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge, skating, and skiing.

Fans may also be treated to some new events, along with the possible return of ski mountaineering, which made its debut this past week.

"We will work calmly and study everything on the table with ski mountaineering, speed skiing, telemark, even cross-country or cyclo-cross and why not ice-cross. After that we will have to budget," Edgar Grospiron, president of the organization committee, told Le Dauphiné in 2025 (h/t MSN's Oliver Obel.

Cross-country running, which is traditionally an autumn/winter sport, was part of the Summer Olympics in 1912, 1920, and 1024 but has not been part of the games since. Grospiron is eager to see it return:

"I've always wanted to see cross-country back in for all sorts of reasons. Some are emotional. But it also gives Africa a proper presence in the winter Games, which, if we are being honest, it doesn't really have."

Speed skiing is a downhill sprint-style straight-line event where finishing fast is the obvious goal. Ice-cross is a downhill skating event that isn't unlike ski cross—albeit on an ice track.

Cyclo-cross is a type of all-terrain bicycle race that is perfectly suited for a winter course.

Telemark skiing, meanwhile, is a variation that combines aspects of Alpine and Nordic skiing with tow-only ski bindings.

Ice climbing, a sport in which competitors climb an artificial ice wall, is also reportedly under consideration. At least, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation is pushing hard for its inclusion in the 2030 games. The organization said the following in a statement (h/t Brian Wiechert of WGAL Lancaster):

"Ice climbing offers the Olympic Winter Games a unique opportunity to reconnect with their mountain DNA, while meeting the expectations of new generations. A spectacular, demanding and committed sport, it appeals to a young, outdoor and connected audience. It draws strength from Alpine culture while looking to the future, embodying that essential link between heritage and Olympic innovation."

While we don't know for certain which new events will be included in the 2030 French Alps Games, fans should expect one or two to make their way into the lineup.

The sports program for the 2030 Winter Olympics is expected to be finalized at an IOC board meeting in June.