DOSB wants to bring the 2031 European Games to Germany, but the host city has not yet been determined
The German Olympic Sports Confederation, known by the abbreviation DOSB, has opened the possibility of the 2031 European Games being held in Germany. According to the DOSB announcement of June 11, 2026, after talks with the European Olympic Committees, or EOC, the confederation submitted a letter of interest in hosting the continental multisport competition. This is an initial and non-binding step, not a final bid with a defined city, budget and operational plan. DOSB explicitly stated that a decision on a possible host city is not planned at this stage. Germany has therefore signalled strategic interest for now, but has not taken on an organisational obligation.
The letter of interest was submitted by the May 31 deadline, DOSB states, and according to the same source it creates neither legal nor organisational obligations for the applicant. Such a move usually serves as an entry point into talks with the rights holder, in this case the EOC, and enables further consideration of feasibility. For German sport, this step fits into a broader discussion about the return of major multisport events to the country, including the long-term ambition related to a possible Olympic and Paralympic Games in the period from 2036 to 2044. However, the 2031 European Games are not officially linked to a specific German Olympic bid. According to currently available information, this is a separate process that could serve as an important organisational and political test of capacity.
A decision is expected in 2027, during the next edition in Istanbul
According to DOSB, the decision on the host of the 2031 European Games should be made in the second quarter of 2027. It is planned that the host flag will be handed over during the fourth edition of the European Games, which will be held in Istanbul in June 2027. This would link the choice of the 2031 host to the most visible moment of the current competition cycle, when European sports federations, national Olympic committees, athletes and partners will already be gathered around the next edition. Such a schedule increases the political and communication importance of the decision, because the new host would receive a four-year period for preparation.
The European Olympic Committees previously announced that Istanbul will host the fourth European Games from June 16 to 27, 2027. The EOC awarded the Games to Istanbul in March 2024, after an evaluation in which, according to the official announcement, sports venues, transport, security, accommodation and conditions for athletes were considered. The same announcement stated that Istanbul's plan does not envisage additional construction beyond already existing or already planned venues. This is an important signal for future hosts, because sustainability, the use of existing infrastructure and cost control have become key issues in the organisation of major sports events.
Istanbul 2027 will have 26 sports and disciplines, the EOC announced in March 2026. Among them are 22 Olympic sports aligned with the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and the competitions will offer qualification opportunities through direct quotas and Olympic ranking systems. The EOC additionally stated that more than 100 direct Olympic quotas are expected at the 2027 European Games, along with ranking points in a number of sports. For that reason, the European Games are increasingly clearly positioning themselves not only as a continental competition, but also as part of the Olympic qualification pathway.
Why hosting 2031 would be important for Germany
For DOSB, the possible organisation of the 2031 European Games fits into the National Strategy for Major Sports Events, the confederation itself states. The announcement explicitly emphasises that the competition could be part of a series of events on the path toward a possible hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany between 2036 and 2044. This wording shows that the European Games are viewed as a medium-sized event in relation to the Olympic Games, but large enough to test organisational, logistical, security and political capacities. Through such a competition, Germany could test governance models, cooperation between federations and public authorities, and the acceptance of a major sports project among the population.
Germany is already conducting a separate national process for a possible Olympic and Paralympic bid. According to DOSB data, the concepts of Berlin, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region are being considered in that process, while Hamburg rejected the continuation of its own Olympic ambition in a referendum on May 31, 2026. Hamburg city authorities announced that 54.9 percent of voters were against the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Mayor Peter Tschentscher stated after the result that Hamburg was withdrawing its bid. This example shows how sensitive public support, cost transparency and local political legitimacy are in German sports projects. Although the referendum concerned the Olympic and Paralympic Games, not the 2031 European Games, the message is relevant for any larger organisational plan.
Unlike the Olympic Games, the European Games could offer a smaller and operationally more flexible format. But that does not mean the project would be simple. Multisport competitions require athlete accommodation, calendar alignment with international federations, broadcast rights, security plans, transport solutions, volunteer programmes and a clear division of financial responsibility. DOSB has not yet published a cost estimate, a financing model or a list of possible cities. Until these questions are clarified, German interest in 2031 remains a political and sporting signal, not a fully shaped bid.
The European Games are moving closer to the Olympic qualification system
The European Games were first held in 2015 in Baku, and later editions were in Minsk in 2019 and Kraków-Małopolska in 2023. According to the EOC, the third European Games in Poland in 2023 offered more than 100 quota places for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This development is important for understanding why interest in hosting 2031 cannot be viewed only as a matter of sporting prestige. If the trend continues, the 2031 edition could be connected with qualification systems for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, although the specific sports programme, number of sports and qualification rules for 2031 have not yet been officially confirmed.
The EOC and the European Broadcasting Union, EBU, announced on June 17, 2026, the extension of their partnership for the European Games through 2031. According to that announcement, the partnership covers the distribution of media rights and free-to-air coverage through EBU members and the Eurovision Sport platform. This is important because a stable television and digital framework increases the commercial predictability of future editions. For a potential 2031 host, such an agreement can mean greater certainty regarding the international visibility of the event, although it does not by itself resolve questions of local costs and organisation.
The sports programme of Istanbul 2027 shows the direction in which the competition is developing. According to the EOC, the programme will include sports such as athletics in the European Team Championships format, 3x3 basketball, gymnastics, judo, wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis, shooting, sport climbing, triathlon, volleyball, boxing and rowing in the beach sprint discipline. Squash will appear ahead of its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, while some disciplines will return after being absent from the 2023 edition. Such a programme confirms that the EOC uses the European Games as a combination of established Olympic sports, new disciplines and continental championships with qualification impact.
The host city remains the biggest unknown
The most important open question in the German case is the choice of a possible host city or region. DOSB has clearly stated that a decision on the host city is not being considered at this stage, which leaves room for several scenarios. One model could be concentrated hosting in one city with existing sports infrastructure. Another could include a regional distribution of venues, especially if the aim were to reduce the need for new construction. A third scenario could be linking the European Games with an already developed Olympic concept, but such a connection is not currently officially confirmed.
In the German context, that decision will probably depend on several conditions. The first is alignment with the national Olympic process, because DOSB must ensure that the European Games do not complicate, but instead strengthen, the broader strategy. The second is local political support, especially after the Hamburg referendum, which showed that major sports events cannot be run only as projects of sports institutions. The third is infrastructure: the future host would have to prove that it can use existing venues, transport systems and accommodation capacities without excessive pressure on public budgets. The fourth is international competition, because the EOC may also consider other interested countries or cities.
For Germany, the potential advantages of hosting would be the visibility of sport, the strengthening of international ties and the testing of models that could later be relevant for a larger Olympic bid. Possible risks include pressure on public finances, security requirements, the complexity of coordinating multiple sports and the need to clearly explain the long-term benefit to citizens. The success of the bid will therefore depend not only on whether DOSB wants to organise the competition, but also on whether it can present a convincing, sustainable and publicly acceptable plan. According to available information, that plan still has to be developed.
The coming months will bring the shaping of the bid
Until the EOC decision in the second quarter of 2027, Germany must, if it wants to continue the process, move from general interest to a concrete bid. This entails selecting a hosting concept, estimating costs, holding talks with public authorities, identifying sports venues and reaching agreements with international sports stakeholders. Since DOSB has already linked the project with the national strategy for major sports events, the 2031 issue is expected to be viewed together with German Olympic ambitions, but also through a separate feasibility assessment. Every decision will have to take into account the experiences of previous hosts, especially the EOC's emphasis on existing or already planned venues.
For the EOC, hosting 2031 will be important because it comes after Istanbul 2027 and in the cycle leading toward Brisbane 2032. If the continuation of the qualification role of the European Games is confirmed, the 2031 host could have a significant position in European sport during the pre-Olympic period. For DOSB, meanwhile, the letter of interest represents a way to stay in the game without a premature decision on the city, costs and operational details. Therefore, the current phase is above all strategic: Germany has sent a message that it wants to consider hosting, while the concrete shape of the bid will determine how realistic that interest is.
Sources:
- Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund – announcement on the letter of interest for the 2031 European Games and possible integration into Germany's strategy for major sports events (link)
- European Olympic Committees – announcement on the Istanbul 2027 European Games programme with 26 sports and qualification opportunities for LA28 (link)
- European Olympic Committees – decision awarding the 2027 European Games to Istanbul and information on the evaluation of the bid (link)
- European Olympic Committees – announcement on the extension of the EOC and EBU partnership for the European Games through 2031 (link)
- Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund – official page on the German process for a possible Olympic and Paralympic bid (link)
- City of Hamburg / Senate Chancellery – official statements after the referendum on Hamburg's Olympic and Paralympic bid in 2026 (link)