Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Africa, Türkiye and the Republic of Korea are in the race as the IOC outlines the road to the 2036 host vote….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The race to host the 2036 Olympic Games has entered a new stage, with seven countries currently bidding for the event as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sets out the next steps towards choosing a host.
Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Türkiye are currently in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC over their 2036 Olympic bids. The IOC has now published a handbook outlining the requirements and timeline for countries seeking to advance through the selection process.
The IOC Executive Board is expected to shortlist interested parties for the next stage, Strategic Dialogue, in March 2027. A smaller group of Preferred Hosts will then enter Targeted Dialogue in December 2028, before IOC members are expected to elect the 2036 host in mid-2029.
The seven countries have been developing their proposed Games plans and visions, with the IOC providing technical support during the Continuous Dialogue phase.
Their bids are being assessed on factors including venue masterplans, athlete experience, funding strategies, political and public support, Games delivery capabilities and legacy plans.
The IOC will also examine each country’s overall vision for the Games and whether its plans align with local development priorities and the wider goals of the Olympic Movement.
“I was fortunate to compete at five Olympic Games, across four continents. Each had their own character,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said.
“Each host brought something unique through its people, its culture and the way it chose to stage the Games. But wherever the Games take place, one thing must never change: athletes have to be at the heart of everything we do.”
Coventry said athletes spend years working towards their Olympic ambitions and that their experience at the Games remains with them throughout their lives.
“That is why, for every future host, delivering the best possible experience for the athletes must always be the starting point,” she said.
The revised selection process builds on the dialogue approach introduced in 2019 and overseen by the IOC’s Future Host Commission.
The IOC said interest in hosting future Olympic and Paralympic Games had remained strong, pointing to the success of recent editions. It highlighted Paris 2024, which it said had brought benefits to Paris and France and was expected to generate an estimated net contribution of 9 billion to 11 billion euros to the Île-de-France economy by 2034.
Which seven countries are bidding for the 2036 Olympics?
The seven countries currently in the race are Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa and Türkiye.
The IOC said the interested parties have been working on their proposals for several months or years. Virtual technical workshops have been held to help them develop their venue masterplans, funding strategies and plans for the Games’ vision, impact and legacy.
Their projects are also undergoing technical evaluations supported by independent reports and public opinion polling.
The seven interested parties will present their projects to the Future Host Commission in November 2026.
The IOC has set October 31, 2026 as the deadline after which no additional interested parties will be considered for the 2036 Games.
The selection process will then move towards feasibility assessments, which are expected to be completed by March 2027. The IOC Executive Board will open the Strategic Dialogue during the same month.
During this stage, the IOC will provide enhanced technical support. Interested parties will be required to submit an initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire and provide core legal and financial guarantees.
The Future Host Commission will also conduct visits to the proposed host regions and prepare a report for the IOC Executive Board.
In December 2028, the Executive Board will invite a select number of Preferred Hosts into Targeted Dialogue. Those candidates will submit final responses to the questionnaire and a full set of guarantees.
The final decision will be made by IOC members at an IOC Session in mid-2029, when the host of the 2036 Olympic Games is expected to be elected.
Other National Olympic Committees are also holding noncommittal discussions with the IOC about hosting Olympic Games beyond 2036, but they are not currently part of the seven-country race for the 2036 edition.
