As you almost certainly know, the Paris Olympic Games are ending soon! Maybe you have this iconic sporting event on your travel bucket list for the future, so you can start dreaming about planning a trip to attend. This is a great opportunity to look ahead at the 5 next Olympic host cities, including 2 Winter Games locations that were just announced in July.
Here are the future Olympic host cities.
Infographic of the future Olympic host cities
Here’s the overview if you want to see the destinations at a glance.
Let’s take a quick look at each one.
2026 Winter Games: Milan-Cortina (Italy)
Dates: February 6-22, 2026
Many travelers with a basic knowledge of Italy don’t exactly associate the iconic Southern European country with winter sports, but the Alps dominate the country’s northern part. I found them beautiful to see when landing at the Milan-Bergamo airport (BGY) on a self-transfer.
It’ll be Italy’s 3rd time hosting the Winter Olympics, after Cortina in 1956 and nearby Turin in 2006. Decidedly, Italy loves Winter games in years ending in 6. The country also hosted the Summer Games in Rome in 1960.
These will be the first Olympics with 2 official host cities. Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are actually 5 hours apart, so it’ll be a very spread-out event. The closing ceremony will actually take place in Verona, about halfway between both cities.
Milan is Italy’s largest metropolitan area (no, it’s not Rome), a major hub with about 5 million inhabitants in Northern Italy.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is the opposite, a very small resort town in the mountains north of Venice.
2028 Summer Games: Los Angeles (USA)
Dates: July 14-30, 2028
There’s nowhere more synonymous with summer than sunny Southern California. I haven’t been back since I was a kid, but I remember loving the LA vibe because I stayed kind of obsessed with California for many years.
It’ll be Los Angeles’ 3rd time hosting the Summer Olympics (a distinction shared only with London and now Paris), after 1932 and 1984. California also hosted the Winter Games at Squaw Valley in 1960, and the U.S. has hosted 5 other Olympics outside of California, including the Summer Games in Atlanta and St. Louis.
Los Angeles is a massive metropolitan area with over 13 million inhabitants, which is a third of Canada’s entire population.
A fun fact that seems to surprise a lot of people is that Los Angeles is closer than San Francisco (from Toronto and all points East), even though many think the opposite since it’s further south.
For some reason, some Olympic events will take place in Oklahoma City, over 1,000 miles away. Another fun fact that is somewhat related because it also makes you wonder “why?” is that Oklahoma City plans to build the highest skyscraper in the U.S. soon.
2030 Winter Games: French Alps (France)
Dates: February 8-24, 2030
I hope you weren’t tired of France and the Alps because, for the 3rd time in 4 Olympics, it’ll be a bit of the same. I loved my week near Mont Blanc in Chamonix and it’s certainly a beautiful area, but it’s somewhat repetitive for the Olympics.
It’ll be France’s 7th time hosting the Olympics, the most of any country not named the USA. The 3 previous Winter Games were in Chamonix in 1924, Grenoble in 1968, and Albertville in 1992.
Not much is known about this edition yet, as it was just awarded in July. But the events will take place in 4 clusters, some of which are 6 hours apart.
Nice will host the closing ceremony. It’s not a very wintery city, as it’s on the famous French Riviera.
Briançon – Montgenèvre – Serre Chevalier is the 2nd cluster, the closest to Nice geographically. It’s near the Italian border.
Bozel – Courchevel – Méribel – La Plagne is the 3rd cluster. It’s a bit further north, halfway between the cities of Grenoble and Chamonix.
The final cluster is La Clusaz – Le Grand-Bornand. It’s the furthest north and is actually located just south of Geneva (Switzerland). It’s in between the 2 prettiest places I’ve visited in France so far, Annecy and Chamonix.
2032 Summer Games: Brisbane (Australia)
Dates: July 23 – August 8, 2028
Australia as a whole has a summer vibe, but it’s especially true for Brisbane thanks to its location further north than most other popular cities Down Under.
It’ll be Australia’s 3rd time hosting the Games, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. It’s the only country in Oceania to have hosted the Games.
Brisbane is Australia’s 3rd-largest metropolitan area, with a population similar to Vancouver’s.
2034 Winter Games: Salt Lake City (USA)
Dates: February 10-26, 2034
The Western U.S., again. After just getting a team in the most wintery of professional sports, hockey, Utah will host the Winter Olympics, once again.
It’ll be Salt Lake City’s 2nd time hosting the Winter Olympics, after 2002. Apart from the one in California mentioned earlier, the only other Winter Olympics in the U.S. were held in Lake Placid, super close to the Canadian border (in 1932 and 1980).
Salt Lake City is known for being the home of the Mormons, but it has grown a lot. Its larger urban area now has as many inhabitants as Vancouver’s.
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Summary
The next few Olympic Games promise a thrilling mix of destinations. From the snowy peaks of Milan-Cortina in 2026 and the vibrant energy of Los Angeles in 2028 to the picturesque French Alps in 2030, Brisbane’s sunny charm in 2032, and the winter wonderland of Salt Lake City in 2034, there’s something for everyone. These locations offer not just great sports but also fantastic travel experiences.
What would you like to know about the next Olympic host cities? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Infographic (image credit: Flytrippers)
