News · 19 October 2026
Switzerland 2038 Winter Olympics: National Council says yes
Switzerland's bid for the 2038 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games cleared its first vote in parliament on 1 October 2026, and a Council of States committee followed on 16 October. Here's what's planned, what still has to happen, and why it matters if you want to work in sport events.
Switzerland's bid for the 2038 Winter Olympics passed its first vote in parliament on 1 October 2026. The National Council voted 137 to 40, with 14 abstentions, to let the federal government put up to 200 million francs into the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.[1][2] On 16 October the Council of States' committee for science, education and culture backed the bid too, by 10 votes with 2 abstentions.[3]
It isn't settled yet. The Council of States, parliament's second chamber, still has to vote.[1] The organisers expect parliament to handle the bid in its autumn and winter sessions of 2026.[5] Then the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has the last word.[4]
What did the National Council approve?
The money comes with a condition: the cantons and communes must pay at least as much as the Confederation towards planning and staging the Games.[1][4] Here's where the 200 million francs would go:[4]
| What the federal money pays for | Million francs |
|---|---|
| Co-financing the Paralympic Games | 60 |
| Cheaper public transport for visitors | 50 |
| Further costs of the organising body | 80 |
| Contingency for unforeseen costs | 10 |
| Federal contribution, at most | 200 |
Security isn't in that sum. The Confederation will cover it as part of its regular duties, and the committee told the chamber to expect 40 to 80 million francs.[1] Nor is there a federal deficit guarantee. The organising association has lined up a privately financed one of 200 million francs. It puts the total cost at 2.2 billion francs, paid for by public money, sponsorship, merchandising, ticket sales and a substantial IOC contribution.[4]
The chamber added demands of its own: high national and international standards of sustainability, transparency and governance, including travel by public transport and a social and cultural charter. It voted down, 106 to 78, a proposal to open the decision to an optional national referendum.[1][8]
The Council of States committee then proposed tighter money rules for its chamber to vote on. The cantons and communes would have to pay their share in money. The split between host and non-host cantons would be fixed, bindingly, before the credit requests reach parliament. Any later request for more could only cover extra costs caused by inflation.[3]
When will the IOC decide?
Switzerland is in what the IOC calls a privileged dialogue. The IOC talks only to Switzerland about 2038 and has reserved those Games for it until the end of 2027.[4][5] If the bid meets the IOC's requirements on the hosting and financing plan, legacy and sustainability, Switzerland gets the Games.[4]
The committee majority told the National Council the dossier has to reach the IOC in February 2027, so the IOC can decide at the end of April.[1] The organisers aim to hand over every guarantee the IOC needs in spring 2027.[5]
Where would the events be held?
There's no Olympic village. Athletes would stay where they compete, and the plan avoids permanent new buildings as far as it can.[1] The organisers start from venues that have already hosted world cups and European championships, spread across all four language regions. Their pitch: Switzerland would be the first country, rather than a single city, to host the Winter Games.[5] The current venue masterplan names eleven places:[6]
| Place | Olympic Winter Games, current plan |
|---|---|
| Geneva | Curling, speed skating; broadcast and press centre (IBC/MPC) |
| Lausanne | Figure skating, short track; ceremonies; athletes' centre |
| Bern | Ceremonies |
| Crans-Montana | Alpine skiing; athletes' centre |
| Zurich and Zug | Ice hockey |
| Lugano | Ice hockey; athletes' centre |
| Lucerne | Athletes' centre |
| Engelberg | Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, ski jumping |
| Lenzerheide | Biathlon |
| St. Moritz (Silvaplana, Celerina) | Freestyle skiing, snowboard; bobsleigh, luge, skeleton; athletes' centre |
The Paralympic events go to Geneva (wheelchair curling), Lausanne (para ice hockey), Lenzerheide (para biathlon and para cross-country skiing) and St. Moritz (para alpine skiing and para snowboard), with the ceremonies in Bern.[6]
What does a Games spread across ten cantons mean for a career in sport events?
Start with what it doesn't mean. The IOC hasn't decided, and none of the documents above says how many people the Games would employ. Don't plan a career on a bid.
What you can use now is the case itself. Take away the single host city and the usual event questions get hard. Who pays what when some cantons host and others don't?[3] How do spectators reach venues from Geneva to St. Moritz by public transport, with 50 million francs set aside to make it cheaper?[4][6] How do you cover a 2.2-billion-franc budget with sponsorship, merchandising and tickets, and no federal deficit guarantee behind it?[4] Here they're argued in public, with real numbers.
If those are the questions you want to work on, look at the MSc in Business, Sports and Event Management. You spend the first semester on campus in Zurich, where Sport Event Management, Global Sport Business and Sport Marketing: Engaging the Modern Fan sit alongside shared modules such as Strategic Business Management.[7] Zurich is also down for ice hockey in the current plan.[6] The second semester is six months off campus with an independent research project, and an internship is optional and possible.[7] You need a recognised bachelor's degree in any discipline (or a BHMS Postgraduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate) and English at IELTS 6.0 or equivalent (B2). You leave with two degrees, one from BHMS and one from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.[7]
If the timetable holds, the IOC decides at the end of April 2027. Start in February 2027 and you'll still be on campus when it does.[1][7]
Next step: look at the modules and the three intakes (November 2026, February 2027, August 2027) on the MSc in Business, Sports and Event Management page, then the full 2027 cost on the fees page.