2026 Winter Games: LDLC Arena near Lyon a obvious candidate to host mens ice hockey

Ice hockey, which was supposed to take place at the Allianz Riviera in Nice, could finally be held in Lyon or Paris.

The LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, in the east of Lyon, is the “most obvious” venue to host the men’s ice hockey tournament of the 2030 Winter Games, which may not take place in Nice as originally planned, its president stated on Wednesday, April 29.

“Our arena excels in this field and we are ready,” said Alexandre Aulas during a press conference. “We meet all the requirements, including the minimum capacity of 10,000 seats,” he added.

Nice was supposed to host all ice events for the 2030 Olympics, but its new mayor, Eric Ciotti (UDR-RN), refuses to approve the initial project, which involved covering the Allianz Riviera football stadium for several months. The Olympic organizing committee (Cojop) announced on Tuesday that the men’s hockey event could instead be held in Lyon or Paris.

The LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, with a capacity of 16,000 spectators, is also “the most geographically logical candidacy with territorial coherence with the other Olympic sites” in the French Alps, according to Alexandre Aulas.

The total cost of the operation for organizers, including the venue rental fee, has not been disclosed for confidentiality reasons. However, the cost of using the Décines Arena would be “three to four times lower than the estimated cost at the Allianz Riviera in Nice,” stated Xavier Pierrot, the general manager of LDLC Arena.

The deadline for submitting candidatures to Cojop is set for May 11. Various options will be “studied until early June,” explained Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region (Paca) on Wednesday.