Munich, the Bavarian capital, is planning to bid to host the Summer and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and DOSB President Thomas Weikert announced this on Saturday following an extraordinary meeting of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) in Kurhaus Baden-Baden. This decision saw Munich defeat the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region in the selection process.
Just before the vote, Berlin withdrew its bid. Following its electoral victory, the lead candidate from The Left party, Elif Eralp, also stated that she would not run for office. She specifically criticized the high costs associated with the application and doubted the benefit to Berlin, stating, “I see no advantage.” Previously, Hamburg had also dropped out of the race after residents voted against the bid in May.
For the 2036 games, Qatar, India, and Turkey have already expressed interest. Because the games have recently been awarded multiple times to Western metropolises-Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028, and Brisbane 2032-Asian candidates are initially considered to have a good chance. This is also why Germany has not committed to a specific year, hoping to increase its odds. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to make the final decision regarding the 2036 host city in 2029.
