Munich Chosen as Germany's Official Candidate to Host Future Olympic Games

Members of the Munich delegation celebrated on stage after Munich was selected as Germany’s candidate for a future Olympic bid during the extraordinary German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) general assembly at Kurhaus Baden-Baden.

Munich was selected ahead of the Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr region by the German Olympic Committee (DOSB) as part of a bid to host the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Olympic Games. The decision was announced by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Saturday in the southwestern spa town of Baden-Baden, following the earlier withdrawals of Berlin and Hamburg.

“We’re thinking about all of Germany,” Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder said on stage after Munich’s successful bid was announced, adding that the Cologne bid made the competition tense until the end.

The Munich bid centres on the Olympic Park in the north of the city, which was built for the 1972 Games and has undergone extensive renovations in recent years. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz congratulated Munich in a statement, noting that Germany is ready for the Olympics.

To build local backing, Munich held a referendum in late 2025 where nearly two-thirds of voters supported hosting the event. The DOSB will now begin a dialogue process with the IOC ahead of shortlisting in March 2027, with the final host selection expected in mid-2029.