Utah’s Bid Committee purposely asked to give its final bid presentation to the International Olympic Committee early Wednesday morning so if the state is awarded the 2034 Games, celebrations can coincide with Pioneer Day festivities.
The presentation set for 11 a.m. Paris time, which is 3 a.m. in Utah. Still, the Bid Committee is asking Utahns to gather for an overnight watch party to hear the presentation — and the IOC’s decision — live. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the watch party will be at City Hall on Washington Square, where many will be setting out chairs for the annual Days of ‘47 parade starting at 9 a.m.
Watch the IOC vote live below beginning at 1 a.m. MT:
“Some of you might remember the iconic celebrations that happened right here in 1995 when we were chosen to host the 2002 Winter Games,” she said. “We are building upon that legacy, and I want to hear all of your cheers from Washington Square in Paris on July 24 when they vote yes.”
The overnight event — known as Celebrate 2034 — starts Tuesday night, with video boards broadcasting events and early news reports from Paris between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The IOC is expected to award Utah the 2034 games around 3:35 a.m. Mountain Time. Mendenhall said there will be food trucks serving breakfast and caffeine to thank Utahns for joining. Celebrations will start after the vote and will likely continue, she said, until the Pioneer Day Parade ends.
The 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Cauldron outside the University of Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium is scheduled to be relit following the IOC’s announcement.
The Park City area will hold a celebration of its own later in the day. It's scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Utah Olympic Park. There will be vendors, food, activities, giveaways and an athlete meet and greet from 4 to 6 p.m. A free Flying Ace All-Star Freestyle Show will start at 6:30 p.m. and live music by Freedog begins at 7 p.m.
If Utah is awarded the 2034 Games, Bid Committee Chair Catherine Raney Norman said the team will form an Olympic Organizing Committee and disband the Bid Committee. She said the new committee will continue to work with community partners and stakeholders.
“There'll be a tremendous emphasis on community early on and on youth sport early on, but we also need to continue to take some time to evaluate exactly what measures we're going to be taking initially,” Raney Norman said.
The Bid Committee will announce on July 9 the names of those on the delegation presentation team going to Paris.
