The International Olympic Committee has set a timetable for selecting the host of the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with seven national Olympic committees currently engaged in the process.
Türkiye, Germany, Hungary, India, Qatar, South Korea and South Africa are in the IOC's Continuous Dialogue phase, the first stage of a revamped selection process designed to provide greater technical scrutiny, financial oversight and support before a host is chosen.
The IOC said Oct. 31 will be the deadline for any additional interested parties to enter the race. The seven current candidates will then present their projects virtually to the IOC's Future Host Commission in November.
The process is part of reforms approved by the IOC Executive Board and endorsed by the 146th IOC Session in Lausanne in June.
The changes, introduced under the IOC's "Fit for the Future" reforms, add a Strategic Dialogue stage between the existing Continuous Dialogue and Targeted Dialogue phases.
The IOC said the revised approach is intended to improve transparency, control costs, assess the feasibility of projects at an earlier stage and ensure that proposed Games fit into the long-term development plans of host regions.
The IOC Executive Board is expected to announce the shortlist in March 2027, when the successful candidates will advance into the Strategic Dialogue phase.
Candidates reaching that stage will have to provide initial legal and financial guarantees and respond to the IOC's Future Host Questionnaire. The Future Host Commission will also conduct site visits to the proposed host regions before preparing its assessment for the Executive Board.
Projects will be judged on several technical criteria, including venue plans, athlete experience, financing, political and public support, organizational capacity and the long-term legacy for host communities.
The IOC will also consider the overall feasibility of each proposal, including cost control and how closely the Games align with broader regional development plans.
The Strategic Dialogue is expected to continue through much of 2028. By the end of that year, the Executive Board will invite a smaller number of candidates to enter the Targeted Dialogue phase.
Those candidates will be required to submit final responses to the IOC questionnaire and provide comprehensive legal, financial and other guarantees covering areas such as venue use and Games delivery.
The Future Host Commission will then submit a final report, allowing the Executive Board to determine which preferred host or hosts should be presented to IOC members for a vote.
The 2036 host is expected to be elected at an IOC Session in the middle of 2029, roughly seven years before the Games.
The seven candidates represent a diverse field, with several bringing previous experience of hosting major international sporting events.
Türkiye's bid is closely associated with Istanbul, which has made several unsuccessful attempts to host the Olympics. Germany is expected to focus on Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Games, while Hungary's proposal is centered on Budapest.
India's interest is led by Ahmedabad, which is scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. India has never hosted an Olympic Games.
Qatar's proposal is centered on Doha, which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is scheduled to host the Asian Games in 2030. A successful bid would make Qatar the first Muslim-majority country to host the Summer Olympics.
South Korea is considering a proposal involving Seoul, host of the 1988 Olympics, potentially alongside other regions. The country also hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
South Africa is seeking to bring the Summer Olympics to Africa for the first time in the modern era. Cities including Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg have previously been discussed as possible hosts. South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The IOC's new system is designed to gradually narrow the field, moving candidates from exploratory discussions to increasingly detailed assessments before the final vote.
The next Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032. The 2036 Games will therefore be the next edition whose host remains undecided.