Heerenveen 2030: The Town Outside France Where Olympic Medals Will Be Won

From 1 to 17 February 2030, the Winter Olympics take place in the French Alps, except for one sport. Every long track speed skating event of the Games will be held in Thialf, Heerenveen, over a thousand kilometres away, the first time in more than a century a Winter Olympic discipline is co-organised outside the host country.

It is the first Olympic competition on Dutch soil since the Amsterdam Games of 1928. This page follows the road to 2030: what has been decided, what is still open, and what it means for anyone planning to be there.

How Heerenveen won the Olympics

The story starts in late 2023, when the French organising committee concluded that France lacks a suitable indoor 400 metre oval and that building one just for the Games would be far too expensive. In line with the sustainability strategy of the modern Olympic movement, the committee looked abroad. Two candidates remained: Turin, with its arena from the 2006 Games, and Heerenveen.

What followed was a two-year campaign by six Dutch partners: the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the municipality of Heerenveen, the province of Fryslan, skating federation KNSB, NOC*NSF and Thialf itself. French delegations visited Heerenveen repeatedly, quizzing the venue on everything from visitor flows to broadcast requirements. In May 2026 the French dropped Turin from the talks. On 22 June 2026 the IOC executive board approved Thialf, and on 29 June 2026 committee chairman Edgar Grospiron made it official in Lyon: Olympic speed skating goes to Heerenveen.

What is already known

The essentials, based on official announcements: Thialf hosts all long track speed skating events of the Games. The arena received 37.5 million euros in Dutch government support to meet the sustainability requirements of the IOC, as reported by DutchNews. A compact Olympic Village for the skaters is planned in Heerenveen; plans point to a housing zone near the arena, though the final location had not been officially confirmed at the time of writing. Thialf will run official Olympic test events during upcoming World Cup weekends to rehearse operations. And the wider Friesland region will be dressed in full Olympic branding to bring the atmosphere of the French Alps to the north of the Netherlands.

The honest part: not everyone is cheering

A trustworthy guide tells the whole story. Some of the biggest names in skating have voiced doubts about racing so far from the heart of the Games. Sprint world champion Femke Kok said she fears missing the Olympic atmosphere, and veteran coach Jillert Anema dismissed the plan as naive, as reported by DutchNews. The Dutch sports minister expects that scepticism to fade as the Games approach, and supporters of the plan point at the obvious upside: skaters compete in the best oval in the world, in front of the most passionate skating crowd in the world. Both sides will keep making their case between now and 2030, and we will keep reporting it here.

What it means for visitors

For Heerenveen, the Games are a once-in-a-century moment, and for visitors the window is wider than two weeks in February 2030. The years before the Games bring Olympic test events, World Cups and world championships to Thialf, all easier to attend than the Games themselves. You can already skate the Olympic oval yourself during public sessions, something no visitor to the French Alps venues can say. Read our Thialf guide for how.

Planning for February 2030 itself? Expect accommodation in and around Heerenveen to be in extremely high demand. Follow ticket information exclusively through official Olympic channels, book your stay early, and consider basing yourself in the wider region: Heerenveen is well connected by rail and the A32 motorway.

Latest updates

10 August 2026. Page launched. Confirmed so far: IOC approval (22 June 2026), official confirmation by the French organising committee in Lyon (29 June 2026), 37.5 million euros in sustainability funding for Thialf, and Olympic test events planned during upcoming World Cup weekends. Still open: the final location of the Olympic Village and all ticketing details.

Frequently asked questions

When is Olympic speed skating in Heerenveen?+

During the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics, which run from 1 to 17 February 2030. The exact speed skating schedule has not been published yet. All long track events take place in the Thialf arena in Heerenveen.

Why is one Olympic sport held in the Netherlands?+

France has no suitable indoor 400 metre speed skating oval and chose not to build one for cost and sustainability reasons. The organising committee selected Thialf in Heerenveen over Turin. It is the first Winter Olympic discipline co-organised outside the host country in over a century.

Can I buy tickets for Olympic speed skating in Heerenveen?+

Ticketing details have not been announced yet. Tickets for Olympic events are sold exclusively through official Olympic channels. Beware of unofficial resale sites and check back here for updates.

Where will the athletes stay?+

A compact Olympic Village for the skaters is planned in Heerenveen. Plans point to a housing zone near the arena, but the final location has not been officially confirmed yet.

Has the Netherlands hosted Olympic events before?+

Yes, but not for a long time. The last Olympic competition on Dutch soil was during the Amsterdam Summer Games of 1928, 102 years before the speed skating events of 2030.

More guides to Heerenveen

Sources

• 2030 Winter Olympics overview, dates and venue plan: Wikipedia (secondary, current)
• Timeline 2023 to 2026, six partners, Turin, Lyon confirmation of 29 June 2026, chairman Edgar Grospiron: rijksoverheid.nl, heerenveen.nl, nocnsf.nl, NL Times
• IOC approval of 22 June 2026, first Dutch Olympic competition since Amsterdam 1928: nos.nl, dutchnews.nl
• Sustainability funding of 37.5 million euros, statements attributed to Femke Kok and Jillert Anema, the Dutch sports minister: dutchnews.nl, 1 July 2026
• Planned Olympic Village near the stadium and upcoming test events: NL Times, 29 June 2026; official village location still unconfirmed: rijksoverheid.nl
• "Historic milestone" framing and first co-organisation outside the host country in over a century: insidethegames.biz, 1 July 2026, attributed in the text as international commentary

Independent, private initiative with no official affiliation to the municipality of Heerenveen, Thialf, SC Heerenveen, Museum Belvedere, NOC*NSF, the IOC or the Alpes 2030 organizing committee. Names and brands mentioned are the property of their respective owners. No use of the Olympic rings, the Alpes 2030 emblem or any suggestion of partnership.