The Allianz Riviera, in Nice, on March 21, 2026. The stadium is slated to be temporarily covered to host ice hockey competitions during the 2030 Winter Olympics, though the city's new mayor, Eric Ciotti, has opposed the plan. MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP
April is set to be a decisive month for Nice. In the coming weeks, the city on the French Riviera is set to find out whether it will appear on the map of the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, which will be held in the French Alps. "We need to make a decision by mid-April, April 20 at the latest," said Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
The ultimatum was directed at Eric Ciotti, a far-right ally and the newly elected mayor of Nice, which is set to be one of the four competition hubs for the 2030 Winter Olympics. Ciotti is opposed to the sites that have, until now, been chosen to host the ice events (figure skating, ice hockey, curling and short track speed skating) in the city. The mayor has refused to allow the Allianz Riviera football stadium to be temporarily covered to host the ice hockey events, and has spoken out against the construction of the Olympic village and a new multi-sport complex (called COOL) for the figure skating events nearby, in western Nice.
