How to Join the Watch Party When the IOC Announces the Host of the 2034 Olympics – Deseret News

In what is expected to be a joyful sense of déjà vu, Utahns are invited to the midnight party in Washington Square on Wednesday to watch the livestream from Paris as Salt Lake City is — hopefully — awarded the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games. That’s where the party began when Salt Lake City was awarded the 2002 Games.

The live viewing party even has a name: CELEBRATE 2034. When she announced the festivities earlier this month, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall also promised food trucks and free giveaways for those who attend the outdoor bash.

The all-night event will include a big-screen announcement broadcast by KSL-TV. It will begin with Salt Lake’s presentation from Paris around 2:30 a.m., followed by a brief question-and-answer session and voting by the International Olympic Committee and a formal announcement around 3:30 a.m.

The video feed works both ways, with images from Washington Square being beamed live to the presentation room in Paris to show the public’s support for the return of the Winter Games to Utah.

City officials expect a large crowd on the east side of Washington Square, where the Salt Lake City Capitol and clock tower are located on 400 South between State Street and 200 East.

The plans are of course based on the IOC choosing Salt Lake City to host the Games, but that is also the expectation.

Here’s a look at the expected timeline for the celebration, which begins Tuesday night. Times may move forward or back a few minutes:

Tuesday, July 23:

5:00 PM – 11:00 PM: Pre-show broadcast on video boards in Washington Square.

Wednesday, July 24:

02:30 Live presentation of Salt Lake City’s Olympic bid from Paris.

03:00 A short question and answer session, followed by the IOC vote.

At 3:30 am: Award ceremony of the Games.

The 2002 Olympic cauldron will be lit at Rice Eccles Stadium between 4 and 5 a.m. It will be in direct line of sight east of Washington Square. It will also burn from 6 to 11 p.m. Wednesday night.

05.00 am Drone show

Around 5:30 a.m. Speech by Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall and other Utah officials, live from Paris.

There will be plenty to see and do in Washington Square throughout the night, officials told the Deseret News, from Olympic stories produced by KSL to a chance to take a selfie with one of the Olympians who will be in attendance for the celebration, along with KSL talent past and present, and others. The crowd is expected to be large and lively, as people will also line the route for the Pioneer Day Parade, which begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday and passes through the square on 200 East.

Related festivities in Utah

Other Olympic and Paralympic festivities are scheduled throughout the day, including an event from 4 to 9 p.m. at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, featuring a festival, activities, vendors, food and an athlete meet-and-greet from 4 to 6 p.m. A free Flying Ace All-Stars Freestyle Show begins at 6:30 p.m. and live music from Freedog begins at 7 p.m. This is a car-free event. High Valley Transit will provide free transportation. For more information, visit https://utaholympiclegacy.org/event/celebrate-2034/.

Provo celebrates Wednesday night at Peaks Ice Arena, featuring photos by Zamboni, free public skating, athletes and fireworks.

Charleston, in Heber Valley, will celebrate the announcement with a Winter Games tribute. It will begin with a flag raising at 6:45 a.m., including the SLC-UT 2034 flag. Activities will continue throughout the day, ending with a parade at 6:45 p.m., live music, and fireworks.

Don’t feel like heading to Washington Square? Deseret News will be broadcasting the 2034 Games announcement live from Paris, plus we’ll be covering the downtown party and taking a look at what’s happening in Paris, all on Deseret.com.