Utah’s capital city won’t host the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games until 2034, a little more than 3,000 days away for anyone counting.
The city, however, wants to draw in the Olympic spirit a bit sooner with a large event beginning 100 days from now.
Salt Lake City will host a large Team USA viewing party for the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, while it continues to prepare to host the global event in 2034, said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, as she stood in front of a mix of red, white and blue balloons while surrounded by past Olympians.
The free event will take place at Washington Square and Library Square (near 200 East and 400 South) throughout the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, which run from Feb. 6-26, 2026, and March 6-15, 2026. On top of large screens to view Olympic events, there will be music and live performances, activities for all ages, warming stations and food trucks.
Events with past Olympians and Paralympians are also planned, with current Team USA athletes if available.
“Salt Lake City wants to host all of Team USA’s fans, family and friends to watch every single night of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milano Cortina right here outside of Washington Square,” she said. “Whether you live in rural Utah, live in the state of Maine or Washington state, if you’re a Team USA fan who lives in Brazil — if you’re not heading to Italy ... you need to be here with us.”
Salt Lake City struck a deal with Dragonfli Media to organize the event, which will be similar to a viewing event that brought thousands when the International Olympic Committee named Salt Lake City as the host of the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics last year.
Every night may have a different theme to match whatever event is happening that day, said Mike Jaquet, chief revenue officer for the Salt Lake City-based event production company. That means bobsled activities and appearances by former Team USA bobsled competitors may dominate one day, while another day might focus more on various skiing events.
Those who attend the viewing event may also help shape the feel of the 2034 Olympics. Salt Lake City plans to launch a process next week to gather information on the types of positive impacts residents want from hosting the Games. More opportunities are anticipated during the 2026 watch event, Mendenhall said.
Olympic organizers announced last month that they had already secured more than $200 million in fundraising commitments, accounting for over two-thirds of their $300 million target goal for event planning. The bulk of the money needed to pull off the event is expected to arrive after the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when Salt Lake City will be able to tap into sponsorship money.
Salt Lake City first hosted the Winter Olympics in 2002, which generated about $7.5 billion economic output in 2023 dollars, according to an analysis by the University of Utah Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released last year.
The institute estimated that hosting the event again will spur $6.6 billion in output over the next decade, generating a slightly smaller impact because fewer infrastructure projects will be needed to pull it off, since many of the 2002 venues have been maintained since the event.
