Fraught pension package passes CDU test vote – DW – 12/02/2025

Cologne, Germany’s third-largest western city by population, will play a leading role in the Rhine-Ruhr region’s bid to host the Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state premier Hendrik Wüst said on Tuesday.

Wuest made his comments after meeting with representatives of municipalities involved in the bid in the state capital Düsseldorf.

He said, “We are offering Germany and the world the most compact, sustainable and spectacular Olympic Games. The strongest bid for the Olympic Games is from our side.”

Wust said, “At the moment, we believe that we will be able to offer approximately 14 million tickets. An absolute record.”

Among other things, an athletics stadium will be built in Cologne as a temporary facility, parts of which will later be used for other purposes.

Wust said the Olympic Village – which will offer accommodation for about 95% of the athletes – will also be located in Cologne.

Other sports venues will be spread across other municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The German Olympic body, DOSB, plans to decide in the third quarter of 2026 which city or region will bid and for which Summer Games, with Berlin, Hamburg and Munich also in the running.

North Rhine-Westphalia is to hold a referendum on April 19 on whether its Rhine-Ruhr region should proceed with the bid, after Munich residents recently voted in favor.