Olympic Medals Plaza
The Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Medals Plaza was one of the hottest sites of the Games, honoring the newest Olympic heroes each evening and adding 15 nightly chapters to the Salt Lake 2002 story. True to the theme for the Games, Light the Fire Within, athletes received their medals amidst towering banners that created a cathedral of champions.
Located in downtown Salt Lake City, Olympic Medals Plaza was a new, central location for Medals Ceremonies, and free to 20,000 guests each night. The Ceremonies featured local musical performances, interactive audience games and nightly headline talent concerts. The stage design incorporated the Games theme of Light the Fire Within with a Heroes’ Cauldron that stood inside the Hoberman Arch, a 72-foot-diameter transforming "curtain" that revealed the Olympic Flame each night. Olympic Medals Plaza was designed for a total of 20,000 guests.
Olympic Medals Plaza was at the heart of Olympic Square and home to the year’s biggest headline talent, including Dave Matthews, Lifehouse, Foo Fighters, Macy Gray, Barenaked Ladies, Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Brooks & Dunn, Train, Nelly Furtado, Creed, Marc Anthony, Alanis Morissette, the Goo Goo Dolls, ‘NSYNC and Martina McBride, making Olympic Medals Plaza the hottest ticket at the Salt Lake 2002 Games. Fireworks capped off each night. More than a half million people total came to watch the Medals Ceremonies, and everyone in town wanted to be there.