Munich selects itself as a candidate to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games and estimates costs at ten billion euros

Germany chose the city of Munich as a candidate to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044, after it outperformed the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr region’s bid for the German Olympic Sports Federation during an extraordinary general assembly in the city of Baden-Baden.

With Munich selected as Germany's candidate to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, attention turned to the cost of the project and how to finance it. The city's mayor, Dominik Krause, estimated the costs at ten billion euros, distributed equally between organizing the event and developing the necessary infrastructure.

Who bears the costs?

According to Krause, who belongs to the Green Party, revenues from ticket sales and contributions from the International Olympic Committee are supposed to cover the event's organization budget of five billion euros. The other five billion will be allocated to infrastructure projects.

“We will talk to the federal government about the extent of its contribution,” he said in a press conference after the city was chosen. He added that the talks should begin as of Sunday, explaining: “We cannot wait to plan until the International Olympic Committee’s decision is issued, but rather we must start now.”

Signs of support for the project came from Berlin. German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, who belongs to the Social Democratic Party, said: “We want to bring the Games back to Germany! That is why I, as Finance Minister, offer an Olympic guarantee: we want to host the Olympics in Germany, and we can afford it.”

For his part, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, from the Christian Social Party, identified four parties to finance the project: the sponsors, the city of Munich, the state of Bavaria, and the federal government.

Söder defended the upcoming spending, saying: “All these investments will have to be implemented at some point anyway. Of course we are talking about billions, but the available period allows us to plan for them.”

Mertz: We want unforgettable moments

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced his support for Munich's candidacy, expressing his hope that his country would host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He wrote on the X platform: “The venue of the Olympics is in Germany. Munich is our candidate, and all of Germany stands behind it.” He added: "We want to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, to experience bone-chilling moments, great successes, and unforgettable moments, with an entire country watching eagerly."

Speed up procedures before hosting is settled

Munich's demands are not limited to financial support. Krause called on the federal government to help speed up planning procedures, to ensure that projects are completed on time if the city wins the right to host. He said: “We are counting on the federal government to significantly speed up planning procedures. This could become a model for major projects across Germany.”

Markus Söder expressed his confidence in the ability to implement, saying: “All eyes will be on us in particular, and that is why Germany will succeed in this.”