Hamburg's Olympic hopes are shaky: Munich's citizens are clearly voting for the games!

Hamburg's Olympic hopes are shaky: Munich's citizens are clearly voting for the games!

On October 26, 2025, an important decision was made in Munich: Citizens voted by a respectable 66.4% to host the Olympic Games between 2036 and 2044. The Bavarian capital has thus clearly signaled that it is throwing itself into the race for the Olympic bid and wants to set itself apart from other cities like Hamburg. Over 40 percent of Munich residents took part in the referendum, which is a record for such events. The mayor of Munich praised the result as an expression of “politics for the majority” and reiterated the responsibility that the city has now taken on.

On the other hand, Hamburg is struggling with a difficult environment. Despite valiant efforts, the Hanseatic city sees itself falling behind Munich in the applicant race. Hamburg's concept, which aims to rely on direct citizen participation, is seen as more realistic than previous drafts, but there are also critical voices: The NOlympia movement sees the city as too small and unsuitable for the games. After the decision in Munich, Hamburg's Olympic future remains uncertain. The decision on Germany's candidate for the Olympic Games will not be made until next fall, while Hamburg's bid manager is confidently planning dialogue events to actively involve citizens.

Hamburg's challenges

Experts point out several weaknesses in the Hamburg concept. This makes the challenges when choosing sports venues, for example for the tennis stadium at Rothenbaum and the Heiligengeistfeld, clear. There are also concerns about security and the coordination of spectator flows during games. To counteract this, the Hamburg Department of the Interior and Sport is planning to hold the opening ceremony on the picturesque Inner Alster, which could provide a wonderful backdrop.

At the same time, a survey is underway that shows that 60 percent of Hamburg residents are against an application. Critics also complain about “deceptive packages” in the sports facility concept, such as the Velodrome and the Elbdome, and the debate about an Olympic and Paralympic Village in the Science City Bahrenfeld is also a concern for the city. The ambitious project could also promote the integration of more sport in schools if Hamburg is awarded the contract for the games.

Munich's underpinned vision

In contrast, Munich has a clear, sustainable strategy for its Olympic bid. Almost 90% of the planned sports facilities should be located within a radius of less than 30 km from the Olympic Park, with the focus on using existing sports infrastructure and temporary event areas. The concept envisages an expansion of the Olympic Park and also aims to strengthen urban sports such as skateboarding and breakdancing.

A significant part of the Munich plan is the Olympic Village, which will provide space for 16,000 athletes and 3,000 journalists. After the games, it could be used as a climate-positive residential area with 4,000 apartments. The planned mobility measures, such as the creation of Olympic Lanes and the expansion of rapid cycle connections, also underpin the vision of a sustainable event.

The course has been set for the future Olympics, but who can ultimately win the race for Germany's Olympic candidacy remains exciting. Munich has reshuffled the cards with a clear vote and Hamburg now has to pull out all the stops to be in the fight for the games in the first league.

You can find more information about the latest developments at zeit.de, ndr.de and stadt.muenchen.de.