Bids for the 2038 Winter Olympics
Winter
Summer
2038 Winter Paralympics |
The 2038 Winter Olympics, officially known as XXVIII Olympic Winter Games, is a future international multi-sport event.
In November 2023, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) entered into exclusive discussions with Switzerland to host the Games. In January 2026, the IOC noted that Switzerland could become the preferred bidder by 2027. If this does not take place, the IOC would open up the bidding process to other locations.
Bidding process
The new IOC bidding process was approved at the 134th IOC Session on 24 June 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The key proposals, driven by the relevant recommendations from Olympic Agenda 2020, are:[1][2]
- Establish a permanent, ongoing dialogue to explore and create interest among cities/regions/countries and National Olympic Committees for any Olympic event
- Create two Future Host Commissions (Summer and Winter Games) to oversee interest in future Olympic events and report to the IOC executive board
- Give the IOC Session more influence by having non-executive board members form part of the Future Host Commissions.The IOC also modified the Olympic Charter to increase its flexibility by removing the date of election from 7 years before the games and changing the host as a city from a single city/region/country to multiple cities, regions, or countries.
The change in the bidding process was criticised by members of the German bid as "incomprehensible" and hard to surpass "in terms of non-transparency".[3]
Dialogue stages
According to Future Host Commission terms of reference with rules of conduct, the new IOC bidding system is divided into 2 dialogue stages:[4]
- Continuous Dialogue: Non-committal discussions between the IOC and Interested Parties (City/Region/Country/NOC interested in hosting) concerning hosting future Olympic events.
- Targeted Dialogue: Targeted discussions with one or more Interested Parties (called Preferred Host(s)), as instructed by the IOC Executive Board.
Confirmed bids
| City | Country | National Olympic Committee | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Several cities[a] | Switzerland | Swiss Olympic Association (SOA) | In privileged dialogue | ||
|
In November 2023, the IOC entered "privileged dialogue" with Switzerland for the 2038 Winter Games, thereby exclusively negotiating the hosting rights with Switzerland.[5][6] In January 2026, the IOC noted that Switzerland could become the preferred bidder by 2027.[7][8] Switzerland noted they would be the first "national" bid, rather than the Games being held in a specific city or region.[9] On 12 January 2026, ten cantons and 14 municipalities were revealed as proposed sites for hosting the 2038 Winter Olympics.[10][11] Geneva will host curling and speed skating, Lausanne will host figure skating and short track skating, Crans-Montana will host alpine skiing, Lugano, Zug and Zurich will host ice hockey, Engelberg will host cross-country skiing, nordic combined and ski jumping, Lenzerheide will host Biathlon, St. Moritz-Celerina will host bobsleigh, luge and skeleton and St. Moritz-Silvaplana will host freestyle skiing and snowboard.[12][13] Lausanne and Bern would host the opening and closing ceremonies, respectively.[10] On 14 January 2026, the Swiss Federal Council announced it would back the Swiss bid and would commit up to CHF200 million ($249 million) in funding.[14] In February 2026, domestic sportswear brand On committed around CHF20 million ($25.7 million) towards becoming a sponsor of the bid.[15] | |||||
Potential bids
- Canada – In February 2026, the Canadian Olympic Committee noted that they would be willing to bid for the Games if the Switzerland bid "[does] not materialize".[16]
- Finland – In March 2026, the mayor of Lahti proposed a Finnish bid for the Games, with his city as a main venue.[17]
- Norway – On 23 February 2026, following the country's best Winter Olympic performance in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced he would back a future Norwegian Winter Olympics bid, either in 2038 (if the Swiss bid does not go ahead) or 2042 (considered the most realistic option).[18][19]
- United States – In March 2026, New York Governor Kathy Hochul backed a potential bid for a future edition of the Winter Games, co-hosted between New York City and Lake Placid.[20]
Notes
- ^ Bern, Crans-Montana, Engelberg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lenzerheide, Lugano, Celerina, Silvaplana, Zug and Zurich
References
- ^ "Future Olympic Games elections to be more flexible". International Olympic Committee. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Evolution of the revolution: IOC transforms future Olympic Games elections". International Olympic Committee. 26 June 2019. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "German officials bemoan 'non-transparency' of 2032 Olympics bid selection". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ "Future Host Commissions: Terms of Reference" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. 3 October 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "IOC sets out pathway to 2038 Winter Olympic Games". SportBusiness. 2023-11-30. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ "FAQ". www.switzerland2038.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
By entering into a privileged dialogue with Switzerland, the IOC has made an extraordinary decision and has sent out a very strong signal. The IOC has committed to engaging in exclusive dialogue with Switzerland and reserving it the right to host the 2038 Winter Games until the end of 2027. The privileged dialogue status means that Switzerland has until the end of 2027 to optimise its application and obtain the necessary support.
- ^ Grohmann, Karolos (4 February 2026). "Switzerland 2038 Winter Games bid could be finalised by 2027, says IOC". Reuters. Retrieved 6 Feb 2026.
- ^ Ewing, Lori (5 Feb 2026). "Canada could consider 2038 Olympic bid should Swiss plans fall through". CBC News. Retrieved 6 Feb 2026.
- ^ "Unique". www.switzerland2038.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
Switzerland wants to become the first Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 'host country' in the world. Our country is virtually predestined to spearhead this paradigm shift – and in any case, local concepts are no longer viable for Swiss Olympic. This means a decentralised Winter Games across the whole of Switzerland, for the whole of Switzerland.
- ^ a b "Switzerland names venues for 2038 Winter Olympics bid". swissinfo.ch. 12 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Swiss set out plan for 'decentralised' Olympics". SportBusiness. 2026-01-13. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ "Venue masterplan" (PDF). switzerland2038.com. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Ingle, Sean (2026-01-12). "Swiss resort Crans-Montana, scene of fatal bar fire, will be an Olympic venue in 2038". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ "Swiss government backs 2038 Winter Olympics bid". SWI swissinfo. 14 January 2026.
- ^ Glendinning, Matthew (5 February 2026). "On moves first to back Swiss 2038 Games bid". SportBusiness.
- ^ Ewing, Lori (5 Feb 2026). "Canada could consider 2038 Olympic bid should Swiss plans fall through". CBC News. Retrieved 6 Feb 2026.
- ^ "'Finland should apply for Winter Olympics': Lahti mayor hints at rumoured bid". 4 Mar 2026.
- ^ "Jonas Gahr Støre opens the door to a Winter Olympics in Norway". NordiskPost. 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Politisk flertall for vinter-OL til Norge". Verdens Gang. 23 February 2026.
- ^ "Lake Placid-NYC Olympic vision taking shape". Inside the Games. 17 March 2026.