Munich to waste no time with Olympic bid

Munich wants to waste no time after being chosen as Germany's bidder for future Olympic Games in 2026, 2040 or 2044.

Munich mayor Dominik Krause has called for immediate financial commitments from the federal government and speed in the necessary construction measures in a €10 billion ($11.4 billion) project.

"We cannot wait with the infrastructure costs until the IOC decision has been made. We have to get moving now," Krause said.

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder said: "If it ultimately fails because of the money in the world's third-largest economy, that would be embarrassing. We are under particular scrutiny, and that is why Germany will get this done."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is expected to name the 2036 (and possibly the 2040) host in 2029. 

Clear Munich win 

Munich hosted the Olympics in 1972 and now hopes to bring the Games back to Germany after several failed bids, including the city's own for the 2018 and 2022 Winter Games.

"I believe that Germany is in a better position, that we have more chances than the last few times," Söder said.

Munich was chosen on Saturday with a clear 91-50 majority over rivals Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr in a vote by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB).

With the exception of football matches in Stuttgart and the sailing competitions in the northern German Baltic Sea port of Kiel, all competitions are to take place in Bavaria.

Positive government response

The federal government immediately sent positive signals and stressed that Munich's bid is for the whole country.

"The Olympics belong in Germany. Munich is our candidate for the bid, all of Germany stands behind it," Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil insisted that "We want to and can afford to host the Olympic Games in Germany.

New State Minister for Sport Ronald Rauhe also said that "the chancellor is aware that he has to take action now."

IOC curious

Munich's plans are to be presented to the IOC and they want to be among the promising candidates when the IOC starts its Strategic Dialogue with potential hosts in March 2027.

German IOC member Michael Mronz said that there is "a lot of attention within the IOC, a lot of curiosity about the German bid" as Munich wants to shine with a compact concept, Bavaria's economic strength, tradition and experience with major events.

But the task is huge as Munich must raise lots of money, renovate competition venues such as the iconic Olympic Stadium and resolve a tricky land issue for the Olympic village. 

A bid for the whole country

Hendrik Wüst, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the Cologne bid is located, conceded defeat and said they would now back Munich.

"Sport has won. We want to do our part to bring the Olympic Games to Germany, to give our children the gift of experiencing the Olympics in their own country," Wüst said.

Similar sentiments came from Hamburg and Berlin, who dropped out before ther vote. In return, the Munich campaign promised to potentially incorporate ideas from their former rivals into their concept.

"It is something historic and we want to give everything so that in the end we can jointly present ourselves as Germany, as a partner for the north, for the south, for the east and west, in the end as one country," Söder said. 

"We think German."