Utahns Have Mixed Feelings Regarding the 2034 Olympics

Published: Oct 17, 2025

Utahns are unsure whether they are excited for the 2034 Olympics returning to Salt Lake City. Some say they are excited for the international fame and economic prosperity, while others believe there are not enough long-term benefits to justify the disruption it will cause. 

On July 24, 2024, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that Salt Lake City would host the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This comes on the heels of Salt Lake hosting the Olympic Games in 2002. “Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 will offer an exceptional experience for athletes and visitors [and] in state-of-the-art venues,” the IOCsaid. 

However, not all Utahns feel the same. Dana Buckley is a 25-year resident of the Salt Lake Valley. She said, “I don’t really care about the Olympics one way or the other.” Buckley was a nursing student at the time and recalled that “Me and my husband took a road trip and got out of the city and watched the Olympics on TV, since they canceled school.” She says she plans to leave the valley by 2034, partially due to the Olympics. 

Others are anxious about the 2034 Games. “It’s just [going to] bring a ton of tourists and just people that are going to make my life harder,” said Hope Aufdemorte, a high school senior. “Whether it’s traffic or prices going up … I don’t know if I’d been in Salt Lake then.” 

On the other hand, there are many people who are quite excited for the Olympics in 2034. Alec Kofoed, another high school senior, said “I think it’ll be cool. It’ll be cool for our economy.”

“The Olympics are an amazing opportunity for our world to be united it something when there is constant division between people,” said Caroline Madsen, a student at the University of Utah. “So, I think it’s an incredible honor to host the Olympics here in Utah.”

Many opinions end up somewhere in between. People understand the “cool” factor but are also concerned about the long-term effects on the Utah economy. “It’ll bring a lot of people to Utah,” Kofoed said, “which means housing could go up. Which would be hard for people like me who are about to go to college.” Kofoed is worried about the growth which the Utah infrastructure might not be prepared for.