Celebrations Grenoble Act I

The Modernity Games

The Celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the Grenoble Games aimed to honour that which made these Games the Modernity Games. These Games were the first to be broadcast worldwide on colour television. The first mascot appeared, and the first sculpture symposium was set up. Also for the first time, athletes were submitted to anti-doping controls and femininity tests.

Owing the territory

The 1968 Olympic Games had a tremendous impact on the modernisation of Grenoble, as a city and as an urban area. They clearly were an engine for change. It was not exclusively Olympic and Sport venues which were built for the Games, as projects which shape the current face of the city were realised, including: the City Hall, the Maison de la Culture, the train station and the construction of big, open avenues. Transport and connection of the city to the rest of the region and the country were also reviewed in-depth. During the celebrations, many exhibitions highlighted the achievements in urban planning and construction, and paid tribute to all the people who contributed to this historic moment. The celebrations allowed people to connect with the history of their territory.

Sharing the Olympic History

The COLJOG (Conservatory, Observatory and Laboratory of the Olympic Games in Grenoble) has been at work since 2000 to prepare the best anniversary possible. In collaboration with the City of Grenoble and the Department of Isère, for the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games, a total of 47 events were put on or were supported by the association. With the help of the Department of Isere’s Olympic Committee, the aim was to create something original, diverse and interesting. An anniversary full of life which began, of course, well before 2018!

Taking advantage of regular events to scale up the celebrations

As the Celebrations took place over several months and included an edition of the Winter Olympic Games, the organisers managed to take advantage of the agenda of sport and cultural events to scale up the both the target and the impact of celebrations. Many “regular” events were added, and a “celebration section” facilitated the provision of complementary activities, educational programmes or cultural components to those events.

The 2018 Jubilee project has been articulated around several axes: commemorative, sport and cultural events, exhibitions, venues, the enhancement of existing legacy and highlighting the Olympic heritage. It was a fantastic opportunity for the population to reconnect with its Olympic history.