Qatar Confirmed Among Seven Contenders in the 2036 Olympics Race

Qatar has been confirmed among seven bidders seeking to host the 2036 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Tuesday. The IOC has set out the next phase of the process for selecting the host of the 2036 Olympic Games, with plans to shortlist candidates in March 2027 before selecting the final host in 2029 through a contested vote of its 100-plus members.

“The Interested Parties currently in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC, with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, are (in alphabetical order): Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, Republic of Korea, South Africa and Türkiye,” the IOC stated. These seven interested parties have been invited to present their projects to the Future Host Commission in November, with no new interested parties to be considered after 31 October 2026. A 30-page guidance document was also published by the IOC on Tuesday to assist bidders.

The principles of the selection process were approved by the IOC Executive Board and endorsed by the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne in June 2026 as part of the Olympic Movement's ‘Fit for the Future’ reforms. The IOC will assess the 2036 projects based on factors such as venue plans, the athlete experience, funding, political and public support, Games delivery, and long-term legacies for host communities. The evaluation will also review each project's overall vision and its alignment with local development plans and wider Olympic Movement goals.

The 100-plus IOC members voting in 2029 include Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Nita Ambani from India’s richest family. Additionally, the International Olympic Committee noted it is discussing with candidates the possibility of hosting the 2040 and 2044 Games.

“I was fortunate to compete at five Olympic Games across four continents. Each had its own character. Each host brought something unique through its people, its culture and the way it chose to stage the Games,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a two-time swimming gold medallist.

Qatar has previously hosted world championships in most top-tier Olympic sports, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup. According to The Associated Press, an Olympics hosted by Qatar would necessitate moving the Summer Games away from the traditional July-August window used from Athens 2004 through Brisbane 2032.

Other bids feature unique regional plans: India’s bid centers on Ahmedabad, host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games, featuring the world’s largest cricket stadium named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. South Korea's bid is anchored in Seoul, host of the 1988 Summer Games, and spreads nationwide. German Olympic officials selected Munich, host of the 1972 Games, last month. South Africa aims for a national bid centered on Cape Town to become the first African host of the Summer Games since the modern Olympics began in 1896, while Hungary and Türkiye propose Budapest and Istanbul, respectively.