Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr – Germany's two remaining Olympic candidates
Munich's Olympic Stadium was the main venue for the 1972 Summer OlympicsImage: Jonas Lohrmann/DZBA/picture allianceAdvertisementGermany is hoping to win the right to host the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. On Saturday, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is to meet to vote on which of two bids (Munich and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr) to throw its support behind. Berlin withdrew its application at short notice on Thursday.
The motto of Munich's Olympic bid is "For Games with heart and soul." The concept focuses on sustainability, with the 1972 Olympic Park serving as the centerpiece. According to documents published by the bid committee, around 90% of the competition venues are located less than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the Olympic Village. Most of the venues that would be used already exist, with only a few temporary facilities to be constructed.
In addition to existing infrastructure, other advantages include Munich's experience in hosting major sporting events and its Olympic legacy from 1972. The organizers aim to offer an alternative model to the pricey Olympic projects of the past.
Political support for the Munich bid is strong: "In Munich, we have the perfect conditions to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games," Munich Mayor Dominik Krause is quoted as saying on the city website, "muenchen.de."
"Hosting the Olympic Games in Munich would be an investment in the future — not only because of the immense social value but also due to the resulting acceleration of key urban development and infrastructure projects. Munich is ready for the Olympics!"
Munich residents also appear to support the bid. In a city referendum held last October, just over 305,000 residents cast their votes, with 66.4% voting in favor of an Olympic bid.
This bid encompasses an entire region, featuring numerous venues that are widely dispersed. Cologne would serve as the "lead city" in the bid that features 15 municipalities in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Cologne would host the Olympic Village and a temporary athletics stadium.
Organizers highlight the fact that all of the venues either already exist or would be temporary and to the fact that 66% of those who voted in lasts April's referenda in the affected municipalities voted in favor of the bid.
Apart from sustainability, the Rhine-Ruhr region's dense sports infrastructure is considered a key strength. A potential drawback is the location of competitions across many cities in Germany's most densely populated region. Traffic jams are a daily occurrence and many trains run late or are cancelled altogether.
Germany's capital had originally been a third candidate to host a future Summer Olympics, but it withdrew its bid due to political changes and significant opposition.
TheLeft Party (Die Linke) won the most votes in Sunday's election in Berlin, meaning Elif Eralp, its chairperson, could become the city-state's new governing mayor. She is on the record as opposing the idea of bringing the Games to the capital, describing the bid as a "waste of taxpayer money" and saying she saw in it "no benefit for Berlin." The Green Party a potential coalition partner for Eralp, also opposed the Olympic bid.
As a result, the outgoing Christian Democrat governing mayor, Kai Wegner, Sports Senator Iris Spranger, and Berlin's Olympic commissioner Kaweh Niroomand used a press conference on Thursday to announce that the capital was withdrawing its bid.
"Today is a sad day for Berlin. Because the Olympic and Paralympic Games would have been a huge opportunity – for Berlin, for eastern Germany, and for future generations," Wegner said.
He added that through a number of personal conversations with members of sports federations eligible to take part in Saturday's vote, he had determined that Berlin's bid now lacked significant support.
Niroomand accused Eralp of "sweeping the entire bid off the table within 45 seconds, thereby causing immense uncertainty among the sports federations and significantly diminishing our chances."
The bid had centered on Berlin's international appeal and the inclusion of the eastern states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where events were also to be held – as well as sustainability.
A total of 144 votes are up for grabs in Saturday's vote. Eligible to vote are Germany's 42 Olympic sports federations — including those for winter sports — along with the 10-member DOSB Executive Board and eight individual DOSB members. The individual sports federations each hold three votes.
The final report by a DOSB evaluation commission made Munich's bid the slight favorite, with 87.03 out of a possible 100 points, ahead of Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr (85.02). Berlin's now-withdrawn bid trailed far behind with just 74.64.
This is just the next step in a long process of deciding who will host the next three Olympic Summer Games. The International Olympic Committee isn't to decide on who will host the 2036 Olympics until 2029.
This article, which was adapted from German, was originally published on September 23, 2026. It was updated on September 24 to reflect Berlin's withdrawal from the process.
