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Munich decides: Olympics 2036 or an expensive no?
Munich will decide on its Olympic bid on October 26th; Pros and cons arguments in the focus of citizens.
Munich decides: Olympics 2036 or an expensive no?
On October 26, 2025, the people of Munich will vote on their city's application for the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Around 1.1 million eligible voters are called upon to take part in this crucial referendum. The city administration and prominent politicians support the initiative. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder, SPD Mayor Dieter Reiter and the Greens in the Bavarian state parliament are strongly supporting the Olympic bid, which is giving the supporters a boost. ZDF Today reports that this application is primarily about sustainability and urban development.
A central argument of the proponents is the use of existing sports facilities from the 1972 Olympic Games. The Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Hall and the Olympic Park could once again become the center of sporting events. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, around 90 percent of the competitions should take place within a radius of 30 kilometers, which would significantly reduce the necessary transport and the associated effort. New sports such as skateboarding and parkour will also find a home in the expanded Olympic Park.
Plans for urban development and housing
Proponents also see the Olympic bid as a good opportunity for urban development. A new Olympic Village isn't just for the athletes; Dieter Reiter is planning a subsequent use with over 4,000 apartments that will offer space for more than 10,000 people. This could give the tense housing market in Munich a necessary boost. Söder also emphasizes that hardly any new buildings are necessary, which underlines the sustainable orientation of the application. Planned public transport projects, including the expansion of subway and S-Bahn lines as well as new cycle routes, are intended to improve the infrastructure and increase city benefits.
A positive response also came from Deutsche Bahn, which highlighted in a study that improvements in public transport should provide three times as much benefit as they cost, which could not only relieve the burden on Olympic opponents, but would also benefit the Munich population in the long term.
The other side of the coin
In addition, they express concern about the environmental impact that the construction of new sports facilities or temporary events can cause. The lack of clarity about the future use of the sports facilities and the question of whether existing sports clubs will be displaced represent additional points of criticism. Some opponents see the application processes as not very transparent and are worried about the fate of current sports facilities and clubs.