IOC Confirms Seven Countries Bidding to Host 2036 Summer Olympics: Germany, India, Qatar & More

The International Olympic Committee has locked in seven countries — Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey — as the candidates to host the 2036 Summer Olympics, Sport Mail reported. The field closed with no late additions after the IOC’s Oct. 31 deadline passed, according to Match TV.

What changes now is the process itself: the 2036 Games will be the first Summer Olympics awarded under the selection changes adopted as part of the IOC’s “Future Host” strategy, Match TV reported. The committee plans to finish evaluating the seven bids by March 2027, Olympteka.ru reported.

Interest That Surprised the IOC

IOC Future Host Commission chair Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said the level of interest shows that countries around the world recognize the social and economic value the Games can bring to local communities. “We will continue to work closely with all seven interested parties, supporting them in developing their projects,” she said, according to Olympteka.ru and Match TV.

The announcement came on Oct. 6, when the IOC confirmed the seven candidates, Match TV reported. When the Oct. 31 deadline arrived, no new countries had entered the race.

Only Two Bidders Have Hosted Before

Germany has hosted three times: the 1936 Berlin Summer Games, the 1972 Munich Summer Games and the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games. South Korea has hosted twice: the 1988 Seoul Summer Games and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games.

For South Africa, Durban has been chosen as the preferred city for the country’s bid, which could target either the 2036 or 2040 Games, Metaratings reported.

November Presentations, March 2027 Evaluation

In November, each of the seven countries bidding to host the 2036 Games will deliver a virtual presentation making its case. The IOC will then spend the following months assessing each nation’s capacity to stage the event, with that evaluation due to conclude by March 2027.

The 2036 race unfolds against a fixed backdrop of already-awarded Games: Los Angeles hosts in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032, Match TV reported.