Berlin withdraws Olympic bid for 2036, 2040, or 2044 following state election outcome

Senate confirms withdrawal of capital bid

On Thursday, Berlin officials officially withdrew the German capital's candidacy to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games for 2036, 2040, or 2044. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, Sports Senator Iris Spranger, and bid director Kaweh Niroomand announced the decision at a joint press conference. The move followed regional elections on Sunday in which the left-wing party Die Linke finished first with 25% of the vote. On Monday, Die Linke lead candidate Elif Eralp stated that she opposed the Olympic bid, removing municipal political support for the initiative.

“Today is a sad day for Berlin. The Olympic and Paralympic Games would have been a tremendous opportunity: for Berlin, for East Germany, and for future generations.”

Political shifts and sports federation response

The decision to pull out developed rapidly after Sunday's election altered Berlin's political landscape. Niroomand, an Olympic bid manager and former volleyball coach, contacted Eralp on Wednesday to seek a path forward, but her opposition remained firm. Major sports associations indicated that they could not support a candidacy that lacked political stability in the host city. On Tuesday, an evaluation committee from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) placed Berlin in third place behind rival bids from Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region. Facing the prospect of a heavy defeat at the upcoming assembly, Berlin officials decided to withdraw before the official vote.

“We simply could not offer the political stability required.”

Regional disappointment across eastern Germany

Berlin had structured its proposal under the "Berlin+" concept, organizing a joint regional effort alongside the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The plan included hosting satellite events in Leipzig and Rostock, and organizers had budgeted up to 6 million euros for the bidding phase. Sports Senator Iris Spranger explained that the project would have brought external investment for municipal infrastructure and youth sports. State leaders across eastern Germany expressed disappointment over the sudden cancellation of the joint initiative.

“It is a pity that the Olympic flame will not be lit in Berlin for now.”

Brandenburg Sports Minister Gordon Hoffmann noted that the multi-state bid could have provided valuable impulses for sports enthusiasts and regional development across Berlin and Brandenburg. Both Hoffmann and Woidke wished the remaining German bids success and affirmed their desire to see the Olympic and Paralympic Games return to Germany. Landessportbund Sachsen also expressed regret regarding Berlin's decision.

Selection process shifts to Munich and Rhine-Ruhr

Berlin's exit leaves only two contenders in the race to become Germany's proposed host for the International Olympic Committee. Hamburg had previously withdrawn from consideration in May after voters rejected the project in a public referendum. In contrast to Hamburg, Berlin's city council had approved the bid on 21 May without submitting the proposal to a popular vote. The DOSB will convene on Saturday in Baden-Baden to decide whether Munich or the Cologne and Rhine-Ruhr region will advance as Germany's official candidate. Germany last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1972 in Munich, following the 1936 Games in Berlin.