The majority of Berliners are said to have rejected the capital’s bid to host the Summer Olympics. Therefore, 67 percent of those surveyed in Civey’s representative survey conducted by “Tagesspiegel” oppose the application for 2036, 2040 or 2044. Only 27 percent support the Senate plan, six percent are still undecided.
The results are likely to intensify the debate over Olympic initiatives undertaken by black-red state governments. Moreover, the “NOlympia” alliance has announced a referendum against the application which is scheduled to start on January 1, 2026.
A referendum could possibly be held as early as 2027 – and therefore, only after the decision of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) regarding the candidate German cities in the autumn of 2026. This would obviously be detrimental to Berlin, as there is a risk that the city will be awarded first and then there will be resistance from the public.
Apart from Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Munich and Hamburg want to enter the race as Germany’s candidates to host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics. In Munich, 66 percent of residents recently voted in favor of submitting the Olympics to a referendum. The vote will take place in Hamburg on May 31, 2026. In North Rhine-Westphalia, citizens can vote on April 19, 2026. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) wants to make a decision by autumn next year.
