Munich has officially been selected as Germany’s candidate city to bid for the Summer Olympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The decision was finalized on Saturday following a vote by the German Olympic Committee, known as the DOSB, during its general assembly. This marks a significant milestone in the country’s latest concerted effort to bring the world’s biggest multisport event back to German soil for the first time in more than half a century.
The announcement was delivered by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who revealed the winning city after receiving the official envelope at the conclusion of the DOSB voting process. Steinmeier had earlier underscored the importance of unity in securing the prestigious global event, emphasizing that the nation’s best chance at hosting lay in presenting a unified front.
"If we go to the starting line as Team Germany, then we have a good chance to become Olympic hosts," Steinmeier told the general assembly prior to the vote, highlighting the strategic advantage of a single, cohesive national candidacy.
The path to Saturday’s announcement involved a competitive domestic contest among three prominent contenders. Initially, Munich—which famously hosted the Summer Olympics back in 1972—was pitted against the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region and the capital city of Berlin. However, the race was narrowed down in the final stretch when Berlin officially withdrew its bid just two days before the vote, a decision that followed local elections held the previous week.
With Munich emerging as the chosen representative, the German Olympic Committee is backing a proposal that relies heavily on historical continuity and community goodwill. Munich’s prospective bid emphasizes sustainability and financial prudence by incorporating the iconic Olympic Park that was originally constructed for the 1972 Summer Games. Furthermore, city planners and sports officials have been buoyed by strong local backing, noting that the bid has received considerable support from Munich residents, a crucial advantage given the historical resistance domestic bids have faced.
Securing the Games, however, will be a monumental challenge. Munich and Germany will face a crowded and highly competitive international field, particularly for the 2036 edition. According to statements from the International Olympic Committee, more than 10 cities and countries have already expressed formal or informal interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Games. The global competition includes diverse contenders such as Indonesia, India, South Africa, Santiago in Chile, Doha, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye.
The global Olympic calendar is already set for the near future, with Los Angeles scheduled to host the Summer Olympics in 2028, followed by Brisbane, Australia, which will stage the subsequent edition in 2032.
The International Olympic Committee has altered its bidding and selection protocols significantly in recent years, shifting away from the traditional, high-stakes host city election contests of the past. Under the updated framework, interested parties engage in ongoing, multi-stage dialogues with the IOC’s future host commissions. These discussions eventually culminate in the selection of a preferred candidate, which is then put forward for a formal vote by the wider IOC membership. Typically, the IOC awards the Summer Olympic Games approximately seven years in advance, though the reformed continuous dialogue model allows for greater flexibility in timing.
For Germany, a successful bid would carry profound historical resonance, returning the Summer Games to the Bavarian capital for the first time in 54 years. Munich’s previous turn as host in 1972 remains etched in modern history, defined both by its athletic achievements and by a devastating security failure. Those Games were severely marred when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by the Palestinian militant group Black September. The crisis ended in tragedy after a botched rescue attempt at the nearby Fürstenfeldbruck airfield, resulting in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches, a West German police officer, and five of the hostage-takers.
In the decades following the 1972 tragedy and subsequent global shifts in the scale and cost of the Olympics, Germany’s previous aspirations to host major international sporting events have frequently floundered. Past attempts by German cities to land either the Summer or Winter Games have largely collapsed at the earliest stages, typically defeated by local referendums where voters expressed deep concerns over the escalating size, environmental impact, and financial burden of hosting the mega-event.
A prime example of this domestic hurdle occurred when Hamburg planned an ambitious bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, only to see the project rejected by its citizens in a local public vote. Similarly, Munich itself pursued the hosting rights for the 2018 Winter Olympics, mounting a robust campaign that ultimately fell just short, finishing second behind the winning bid from Pyeongchang, South Korea.
By selecting Munich and emphasizing a unified national approach centered on existing infrastructure and community endorsement, the German Olympic Committee hopes to navigate these historical hurdles and present a compelling case to the international sports community.