German Olympic body selects Munich as candidate city for Summer Games

Assembly vote in Baden-Baden

On Saturday, 26 September 2026, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) voted at its extraordinary general assembly in Baden-Baden to select Munich as Germany's candidate city for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Bavarian capital defeated the competing regional bid from Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr by a delegate vote of 91 to 50 at the Kurhaus. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the decision after DOSB President Thomas Weikert opened the envelope on live television. The domestic race initially included four potential candidates before Hamburg withdrew after a citizen referendum, and Berlin pulled out two days before the vote following state election gains by the Left party. North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Hendrik Wüst acknowledged the outcome, remarking that subtle details determined the final margin between the bids.

Political backing and municipal planning

Political leaders at federal and state levels endorsed the Baden-Baden decision. Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on social media that Germany stands united behind the project to bring the Games back to the country. Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil affirmed that Germany has the economic strength to fund the event, adding that large sports tournaments deliver broader social value. Local support in Munich had been established in October 2025, when two-thirds of voters approved the municipal Olympic bid in a referendum.

We want and we can afford Olympic Games in Germany.

Munich Mayor Dominik Krause and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder attended the assembly, while Third Mayor Verena Dietl stated in Munich that the city will focus on transparent planning, responsible financing, and lasting investments in mobility, housing, and sports infrastructure. Business associations, including the Bavarian Industry Association and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also backed the economic prospects of the bid.

Sports legacy and memories of 1972

The decision received strong backing across German sports organizations, ending a streak of seven consecutive unsuccessful German Olympic bids for Summer and Winter Games. German national football team head coach Jürgen Klopp expressed support, recalling his childhood trip to Munich for the 1972 Games at age five when he slept in a car with his father in a parking garage. Prominent former athletes attended the Baden-Baden assembly, including Olympic champions Boris Becker, Michael Gross, and Isabell Werth.

If we go to the starting line as Team Germany then we have good chance to become Olympic hosts.

Munich plans to reuse facilities from the 1972 Games, including the Olympiapark. The 1972 Games were marred when members of the Black September militant group took Israeli athletes hostage, resulting in the deaths of eleven Israeli team members, one German police officer, and five gunmen at the Olympic village and Fuerstenfeldbruck airfield. Munich previously failed in a bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, finishing behind Pyeongchang, South Korea, but recently won hosting rights for the 2028 Champions League final and the 2031 World Athletics Championships.

The international selection process

The DOSB will formally notify the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and take part in an initial joint workshop to begin the international phase. Munich is submitting a flexible candidacy covering the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Summer Games rather than focusing on a single edition. The IOC will conduct a first pre-selection in March 2027 and narrow the field to top contenders in late 2028, ahead of a final decision in the summer of 2029 for the 2036 Games. More than ten interested candidates have approached the IOC, including Doha, Santiago, India, Indonesia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. The next two Summer Olympic Games are scheduled for Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.