Munich before the decision: Olympic Games 2036 – yes or no?

Munich before the decision: Olympic Games 2036 – yes or no?

On October 26, 2025, the citizens of Munich will have the opportunity to vote on the state capital's Olympic bid. The city would like to apply to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. In the vote, votes can be cast as “yes” or “no”. This decision is binding, meaning that the majority of votes decide whether the project will be pursued or not. A quorum of at least 10% of those entitled to vote is necessary for the result to be valid. That is approximately a minimum number of 110,000 valid votes that must be achieved for the vote to count.

There has already been a citizen survey in Munich about the Olympic Games in the past: in 2013, citizens decided against applying for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, with a voter turnout of around 29% and 47.8% supporting the application. This time, the city and the state government are expected to link the application to the result of the referendum, which means that the citizens' opinions will determine the further course of action. The Munich city council voted in favor of the application at the end of May and emphasized that sustainable games were the goal - especially through the use of existing sports facilities such as the Olympic Park.

Citizens' decision and support

Voting takes place in over 100 polling rooms and is supported by the automatic sending of postal voting documents for easy participation. All EU citizens who are at least 18 years old on October 26th and have been living in Munich for at least two months are eligible to vote. In total there are around 1.1 million Munich residents. Voting letters must be posted by October 21st and delivered to special drop-off points by 6 p.m. on election day.

The application is supported, among other things, by the support of the Bavarian state government as well as the majority of the state parliament and the Munich city council. Proponents argue that the Olympic Games would bring investments in infrastructure and could therefore improve the quality of life of citizens in the long term. On the other hand, however, there are also significant concerns. The “NOlympia” alliance, which includes various parties, citizens' initiatives and environmentalists, warns of incalculable costs, rising rental prices and possible environmental destruction. These concerns should be taken seriously and have led to protests in the past.

The local dissenting voices and history

In connection with the application, many citizens are skeptical about the vote. You remember the past Olympic Games, where there was talk in China of a positive assessment of the games by citizens, which was seen there as systematically motivated. Critical voices are louder, particularly in regions like Upper Bavaria, where many citizens voted against the Winter Games in 2013. Although these citizen surveys may not be absolutely necessary in a representative democracy, they are considered exemplary because they stimulate discussion of important issues and actively involve citizens in decision-making.

Overall, Munich is now at a crucial point where citizens can vote on the future direction of their place of residence. Once again it's about how a city wants to present itself to the world and which values ​​are in the foreground. The decisions made now will impact the city and its residents for years to come. The people of Munich are called upon to exercise their right to vote and to actively participate in this important process. Further information on voting is [here]( faz.net ), [here]( sueddeutsche.de ) and [here]( br.de ) available.