India, Qatar, and South Africa Among Seven Countries Interested in Hosting 2036 Olympics

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Seven countries—Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa, and Türkiye—have formally expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics, with the IOC setting a deadline of October 31, 2026, for official bids. The selection process will involve multiple evaluation phases culminating in a final decision by mid-2029, with key considerations including infrastructure, funding, and political support.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that seven countries have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Summer Olympic Games. These countries are Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa, and Türkiye. The IOC also indicated that several other National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are engaged in exploratory discussions regarding potential bids for Olympic Games beyond 2036.

The IOC has established a formal process for evaluating the candidate cities and countries, beginning with the current phase known as Continuous Dialogue. Interested parties have until October 31, 2026, to formally declare their intent to bid. Following this deadline, no additional candidates will be considered for the 2036 Games.

In November 2026, the interested countries are expected to present their proposals to the IOC’s Future Host Commission. The IOC Executive Board will then initiate a Strategic Dialogue phase in March 2027. After receiving the candidates’ legal and financial guarantees and conducting site visits, the IOC Executive Board will proceed to a Targeted Dialogue with a narrowed group of Preferred Hosts. The final decision on the host city for the 2036 Olympics will be made at an IOC Session scheduled for mid-2029.

Among the confirmed interested parties, India plans to center its Olympic bid around the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, which recently hosted the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Ahmedabad is notable for its large sports infrastructure, including the world’s biggest cricket stadium. This would mark India’s first time hosting the Summer Olympics.

Qatar, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is another bidder, although it would likely need to hold the Summer Games outside the traditional July-August period due to high temperatures in the Gulf region. Qatar’s prior World Cup hosting was surrounded by controversy over alleged corruption in FIFA’s awarding process.

Germany has nominated Munich, aiming to hold the Games exactly 100 years after the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Turkey’s Olympic authorities have expressed ambitions to surpass their near-successful bid for the 2020 Games in Istanbul, where they finished as runners-up.

South Africa, which has hosted major sporting events such as the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 1995 Rugby World Cup, but never the Olympics, is also in the running. Other bidders include Hungary and South Korea.

The 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles, and Brisbane, Australia, is set to host the 2032 edition. The IOC emphasized that regardless of location, the primary focus remains on delivering an optimal experience for athletes, as stated by IOC President Kirsty Coventry. The upcoming bidding process aims to balance factors such as funding, public and political support, and infrastructure capability in selecting the 2036 host.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.