Compact, sustainable, and spectacular Games. That's the promise of North Rhine-Westphalia's bid, competing against other four countries to secure the nomination from the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Games. The project would involve 17 cities in the region: Cologne as the lead contender, along with Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Aachen, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen, Krefeld, Oberhausen, Essen, Wuppertal, and Pulheim. Citizens of all these municipalities are invited to participate in a referendum on April 19.
A temporary athletics stadium and 95% of the athletes in the Olympic Village
The projected budget is estimated at €4,8 billion, and revenue at €5,2 billion. The bid committee announced that it would offer around 14 million tickets (an unprecedented number), at affordable prices, so that as many people as possible could experience the event.
These Games would utilize 100% existing or temporary sports infrastructure, with most venues located within a 40-kilometer radius of Cologne. The main innovation: a temporary athletics stadium with approximately 50.000 seats north of the city (see photo above). The athletics track and pitch would later be transformed into a public park, while apartments, offices, shops, schools, or daycare centers would be built on the former stands.
The bid organizers mention the possibility of gathering 70.000 people for the football tournament finals at Signal Iduna Park, 60.000 for the swimming finals at Veltins Arena, and 50.000 for the handball, basketball, and volleyball finals at Merkur Spiel-Arena. The wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, and sitting volleyball finals could take place at Cologne's Lanxess Arena, in front of 18.000 spectators.
Only two venues would be located outside North Rhine-Westphalia: sailing and surfing would take place in Kiel or Warnemünde (in northern Germany), while the Markkleeberg whitewater stadium would host canoe and kayak events. With this plan, 95% of athletes would live in the Olympic Village and could reach their competition venue in under an hour.
Several World Championships starting this summer
On April 19, residents of the 17 municipalities involved will have to answer the following question: "Are you in favor of the city's participation in the Rhine-Ruhr region's joint bid for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games?" Cologne's mayor, Torsten Burmester, says he is " convinced that the strong enthusiasm for sport in the region, including here in Cologne This will translate positively into votes. Communication campaigns have recently taken place in the region's main stadiums.
The region is no stranger to top-tier sporting events. It hosted the 2025 Summer Universiade (with events in Bochum, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, and Essen) and a plethora of European Championships. The Champions League handball final will take place in Cologne (June), the World Equestrian Championships in Aachen (August), and the World Flag Football Championships in Düsseldorf (August). The World Handball and Ice Hockey Championships will be added to the list in 2027.
This year, approximately one billion euros will be allocated to sport in North Rhine-Westphalia for " the modernization, renovation and construction of sports infrastructure and swimming pools This proves that the region's vision extends far beyond a simple sporting event, and that local authorities are aware of the power of sport. It remains to be seen whether their fellow citizens share this view.
