The German Olympic Committee (DOSB) has selected Munich as the city to lead Germany’s bid to host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The announcement was made on Saturday by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Baden-Baden, a spa town in the southwest of the country. Munich was chosen over the Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr region following the earlier withdrawals of Berlin in September and Hamburg in May.

Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder emphasized the national significance of the bid, expressing the desire for unity across Germany. “We’re thinking about all of Germany,” Söder said after the decision, highlighting the close competition with Cologne and the importance of presenting a unified front from all regions of the country.

Munich’s bid focuses on leveraging the Olympic Park in the city’s north, originally constructed for the 1972 Games and recently renovated. The site remains a central asset with established infrastructure, which officials hope will strengthen the city’s candidacy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also extended his congratulations, stating, “Germany has an Olympic candidate. Munich will enter the race on our behalf.” He expressed confidence in Germany’s readiness to stage the Games, anticipating the event as a significant opportunity.

Support for the bid within Munich was bolstered by a referendum held in autumn 2025, in which nearly two-thirds (66.4 percent) of participating voters supported the proposal, with a turnout of 44 percent. This outcome contrasts with previous efforts that faced public rejection; notably, referenda for Munich’s 2022 Winter Games and Hamburg’s 2024 Summer Games bids were unsuccessful. Hamburg’s push for a 2036 or later Games was similarly hindered by negative public consultation, while Berlin opted not to hold a referendum before withdrawing its bid.

Looking ahead, the DOSB will engage in a “continuous dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), starting preparations for a shortlisting process scheduled for March 2027. The IOC is expected to announce one or more preferred candidate cities by late 2028, with the final host selection anticipated by mid-2029.

If successful, this will mark the third time Germany has hosted the Summer Olympics. Besides Munich in 1972, Berlin hosted the Games in 1936 during the Nazi era. The 1972 Munich Olympics were overshadowed by a terrorist attack targeting the Israeli delegation, resulting in the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches. Germany also hosted the Winter Games once, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 1936.

Germany’s pursuit of the Summer Games has faced several setbacks, with seven unsuccessful bids since 1972. The current Munich campaign represents the latest effort to bring the event back to German soil.