Bids

Berlin joins the Olympic race in Germany

— Published on May 24, 2026

Berlin is underway! On Thursday, the House of Representatives gave its approval to submit a bid to host the The 2036, 2040, or 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Two-thirds of the members of parliament voted in favor of the "Berlin+" concept. The capital thus officially joins Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region in the race to be nominated by the German Olympic Sports Confederation. Meanwhile, Hamburg's fate will be decided by a referendum on May 31st.

Berlin's sporting scene "already strengthened"

Unlike the three other German candidates, the state of Berlin lacks the legal framework to hold a referendum. Thursday's resolution therefore served as a local endorsement of the project. The CDU, SPD, and AfD voted in favor, while Die Linke and the Greens voted against, citing financial risks. The Senate estimates the cost of hosting the Games at €4,82 billion, with expected revenues of €5,24 billion.

« Berlin's sporting scene has already emerged stronger from the bidding process. For us, one thing is clear: Berlin stands to gain from the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The demands of the citizens' initiative by the Berlin State Sports Federation have received cross-party support. Deputy Mayor Kai Wegner's statement that investments in sports infrastructure have been largely insufficient over the past decade must now be translated into concrete action. " said Thomas Härtel, president of the Berlin State Sports Federation, after the vote.

"It is essential that politics, sport and society work together."

Otto Fricke, Director General of the DOSB, is delighted to see " that a majority of Berliners, represented by their elected officials, are in favor of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the capital In the absence of a referendum, a number of information and dialogue mechanisms were put in place to ensure that citizens' opinions were taken into account.

« The unequivocal support of the German capital for Germany's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games sends a strong international message., Michael Mronz agrees, member of the IOC and the DOSB executive council. For a bid to be successful internationally, it is essential that politics, sport and society work together – and that is what was achieved in Berlin. »

Berlin must now submit its final bid to the German Olympic Sports Confederation by June 4. The capital plans to utilize 97% existing venues. The proposals will be evaluated, and a final decision will be made on September 26.