Olympics

German government approves deal with country's Olympic bidders

19.11.2025, 15:34

The German Cabinet has approved a "political agreement" with the country's Olympic bidders which will be signed next month, the government announced on Wednesday.

Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr region are all in the running to be Germany's bidder for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Summer Games. A decision on the bidder and which Olympics to target is expected in the third quarter of 2026, with further details coming next month.

A deal between the bidders, the German Olympic Sports Confederation and the government is set to be penned on December 4, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz in attendance.

The agreement is intended to show the joint commitment of German sport and politics to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Munich backed an Olympic bid in a public vote at the end of October, with a clear majority of 66.4%.

Hamburg, the Rhine-Ruhr region and Kiel, as a potential venue for sailing competitions, plan to hold referendums next year. There will be no vote in Berlin.

Germany last hosted an Olympics in Munich in 1972.