2036 Olympics: Next Steps for Host Selection Out, India Unveils its Vision

In a much-awaited development, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled the next steps for selecting the host of the 2036 Olympic Games.

The handbook for potential hosts, released on 6 October 2026, sets out the full pathway towards the host election and the requirements for interested parties to be considered to progress through each stage of the selection process.

The IOC’s press release confirmed India as one of the seven countries with a stated interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics. The other contenders are Germany, Hungary, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, and Türkiye. 

Host selection: Stages and timeline

The host selection process encompasses three stages: continuous dialogue (involves non-committal talks to explore and refine projects with tailored IOC support), strategic dialogue (involves more detailed evaluation, site visits, an initial submission and core guarantees), and targeted dialogue (final evaluation stage with a select number of preferred hosts, who will put forward a final submission and a full set of guarantees).

• 31 October 2026: No other interested parties will be considered for 2036 after this date.
• November 2026: Virtual presentations to the Future Host Commission will take place.
• By March 2027: IOC feasibility assessments will be carried out.
• March 2027: IOC Executive Board will shortlist interested parties with technically developed projects to advance from continuous dialogue into strategic dialogue. During this stage, interested parties provide an initial response to the Future Host Questionnaire and submit core legal and financial guarantees.
• December 2028: A select number of preferred hosts will be invited into a targeted dialogue. They will submit final files and a full set of guarantees.
• Mid-2029: The host will be elected by IOC Members at the IOC Session.

Evaluation criteria

The 2036 Olympic Games projects will be assessed on a number of technical factors, such as venue masterplan and athlete experience, funding strategy, political and public support, Games delivery capabilities and legacy strategy to create long-term benefits for host communities. They will also be evaluated on strategic elements such as their vision for the Games and their alignment with both local development plans and the goals of the Olympic Movement.

During continuous dialogue, the IOC’s feasibility assessment (due by March 2027) shapes the Executive Board’s shortlisting; projects in strategic dialogue are then assessed against a more comprehensive set of criteria.

Why it matters

Interest in hosting future Olympic and Paralympic Games remains considerable, driven in part by the success of recent editions. Paris 2024, for instance, is expected to deliver an estimated net contribution of €9–11 billion to the Île-de-France economy by 2034.

India’s vision, “Rising Together”, unveiled following the IOC’s announcement, reflects the belief that 2036 can be a moment of mutual rise, when the nation’s transformation through sport and the Olympic Movement’s universal future come together through the Games. It faces six other contenders, with more able to enter before the 31 October deadline.