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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.
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]
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]
According to Future Host Commission terms of reference with rules of conduct, the new IOC bidding system is divided into 2 dialogue stages: [4]
| 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 CHF20m ($25.7m) towards becoming a sponsor of the bid. [15] | |||||
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] 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.
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.
| Summer | |
|---|---|
| Winter | |
| Summer Youth | |
| Winter Youth | |
Future games with bidding process not completed yet are marked italic 1 – Games handed without bids submitted; 2 – Only one bid submitted; 3 – Bids submitted but no Games celebration; 4 – No bids submitted and no Games celebration  Olympic Gamesportal | |
