Copenhagen will not be bidding to host the Olympics in 2030 after failing to secure a formal partnership between the state, the Sports Confederation of Denmark, and the municipality. The city had allocated funds for a preliminary study last year, but those funds have now been redirected to other cultural and leisure development activities.

Mia Nyegaard, the Mayor for Culture and Leisure, confirmed the decision, citing the inability to form a Danish partnership in time for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) process for the 2030 Games. The allocated half a million kroner will instead be used for other initiatives in the cultural and leisure sector.

Nyegaard had previously expressed a vision for hosting the “smallest and most sustainable Olympics ever.” She initially aimed to bring the Olympics to Denmark as early as 2026. Later, she considered bidding for the Youth Olympics as a more realistic option, emphasizing its potential for cultural exchange and role modeling.