IOC confirms seven bidders for 2036 Olympics, including India, Qatar, and a potential first African host
The International Olympic Committee has confirmed seven bidders for the 2036 Summer Olympics: India, Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey. The IOC set an October 31, 2026 deadline for any late entries and plans to select a host by a contested vote of its 100-plus members in 2029. South Africa's bid, centered on Cape Town, would mark the first African host of the modern Summer Games.
The IOC formally launched a 2½-year selection process on Tuesday, publishing a 30-page guidance document for bidders who may also target the 2040 and 2044 Summer Games. IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a two-time swimming gold medalist, said the process would keep athletes "at the heart of everything we do." A key milestone is set for March, when the IOC executive board will approve a shortlist of candidates to develop detailed projects.
India's bid is anchored in Ahmedabad, home to the world's largest cricket stadium — named for Prime Minister Narendra Modi — and a scheduled host of the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Qatar's bid centers on Doha and could expand to include Gulf neighbors; a Qatar-hosted Games would likely require moving the Summer Olympics from its traditional July-August window to later in the year. South Korea's bid would be anchored in Seoul, which last hosted in 1988, and spread across the country.
Germany selected Munich last month as its proposed host city; Munich previously hosted the Games in 1972. Hungary and Turkey have proposed Budapest and Istanbul, respectively. South Africa's national bid, centered on Cape Town, would be historically significant as the first African host since the modern Olympics were established in 1896.