Berlin Senate unanimously supported the BERLIN+ plan for the Olympic bid
The Berlin Senate unanimously approved the BERLIN+ concept and thereby opened a new phase in the German race to organize the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. The decision was made on 05 May 2026, at the proposal of Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner and Senator for the Interior and Sport Iris Spranger. For Berlin, this is a politically important step because the city now formally continues the national procedure in which the German Olympic Sports Confederation, DOSB, must choose one candidate for a possible application to the International Olympic Committee. The race includes not only Berlin and its partners, but also Hamburg, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region with Cologne as the central city. The final German decision is expected in September 2026, while no firm date for awarding the hosting rights has yet been stated at the international level.
The BERLIN+ concept was presented as a joint project by Berlin with partner federal states and cities, with emphasis placed on the use of existing sports infrastructure, sustainability and a broader development effect for the city and region. The Berlin Senate claims that 97 percent of competitions could be held in already existing sports facilities, which is a key argument in the attempt to present the bid as financially more reasonable and urban-planning-wise less risky than previous Olympic projects, which were often associated with enormous costs, the construction of new arenas and later maintenance problems. Precisely this claim of almost complete reliance on existing capacities is at the center of Berlin’s message to the DOSB and the public.
A plan that connects sport, the city and political symbolism
According to the official presentation, BERLIN+ is not conceived merely as a technical list of venues and transport solutions, but as a broader hosting concept that would place the Olympic and Paralympic Games within the urban space. The plan particularly highlights the so-called Host-City concept, which was developed visually and in terms of content by Kulturprojekte Berlin under the leadership of Moritz van Dülmen. This concept seeks to connect sports competitions, cultural content, public spaces and the city’s historical symbols. Berlin’s Olympic parcours should, according to the presented vision, lead from the Olympic Stadium through the city to Tempelhofer Feld, which is mentioned as a space for the ceremonial opening event.
Special emphasis is also placed on the Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most recognizable landmarks. The plan mentions the idea of a gold-lit ramp or symbolic structure that would enable this space to be connected with medal ceremonies and the broader Olympic atmosphere. Such an approach has a clear communication intention: Berlin wants to present its bid as a story about overcoming divisions, connecting the past and the future and presenting modern Germany. This is particularly sensitive because the 1936 Games in Berlin remained historically marked by Nazi propaganda. The current bid therefore seeks to distance itself from the legacy of that period and emphasize openness, inclusiveness, democratic culture and the city’s contemporary identity.
Kai Wegner stated that the Berlin Senate stands united behind the bid and that it sees the Olympic and Paralympic Games as an opportunity for investment, social cohesion and international visibility. Iris Spranger emphasized that the project is not aimed only at several weeks of sporting spectacle, but at long-term benefit for the city’s residents, sports infrastructure and the next generations. In political terms, the Senate’s decision sends a signal to the DOSB that Berlin wants to remain a serious candidate, but at the same time opens questions about costs, public support and the manner of decision-making.
Financial framework: costs, revenues and promised effects
One of the most important elements of the Berlin plan concerns finances. According to data presented after the Senate session, the organizational costs of the Games are estimated at 4.82 billion euros. At the same time, revenues of 5.24 billion euros are expected, which, according to the calculation presented by Iris Spranger, could result in a surplus of approximately 420 million euros. This surplus, according to the political message of the city authorities, would be directed into schools and sport for the wider population. This is one of the most sensitive points of the bid because public debates about Olympic projects in Europe and the world in recent decades have often revolved precisely around the questions of actual costs, budget overruns and long-term benefit.
Supporters of the Berlin bid argue that the financial risk is reduced by the fact that almost all competitions would be located in existing facilities. Such a model also corresponds to the more recent direction of the International Olympic Committee, which in the official host selection process encourages more flexible concepts, the use of existing infrastructure and regional solutions instead of expensive construction of facilities without a clear future purpose. Still, revenue and cost estimates at this stage should be viewed as planning projections, not as final amounts. It is still not clear for which year Germany would bid, what the IOC’s requirements would be in a possible targeted dialogue, or how financial responsibility would be shared between the city, the federal state, the federal authorities, the organizing committee and private partners.
Precisely for that reason, financial sustainability will be one of the criteria by which the DOSB will evaluate Berlin and the other candidates. The confederation announced that in the final phase it will use an evaluation matrix, prepared together with the federal government, with particular attention paid to the international competitiveness and economic feasibility of the proposals. In that comparison, Berlin is trying to emphasize the experience of a large city, existing infrastructure and global recognizability, while competing projects highlight their own advantages, for example Munich’s legacy from 1972, Hamburg’s urban-planning concept or the sporting and demographic potential of the Rhine-Ruhr region.
The German national race is not over yet
Berlin’s decision does not mean that Berlin will indeed be the German candidate before the International Olympic Committee. The DOSB is conducting a national procedure in which four concepts have passed the first phase: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Rhine-Ruhr. According to DOSB information, Germany does not have to commit to an exact year at this stage. The focus is on the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044, and the DOSB wants to be ready for the moment when a real opportunity opens up in the international process. The confederation states that it intends to enter into continuous dialogue with the International Olympic Committee, which is the first formal step in the reformed host selection procedure.
This process differs from the old model in which candidate cities competed for years in a publicly visible race with pre-known deadlines and large campaigns. The IOC can now, through continuous dialogue, talk with national Olympic committees, cities, regions or states without an immediate obligation for a specific year. If it is assessed that a certain project has strategic value, the IOC Executive Board can open a targeted dialogue phase with one or more preferred hosts. Only then does the process enter a more sensitive and more concrete phase. This means that Germany must first decide with which project it wants to appear, and only then can it try to secure an international position.
According to the current schedule, the DOSB should make the final choice of the German candidate in autumn 2026, and in media and official announcements 26 September 2026 is mentioned as a key date. Until then, political support, public acceptance, sports infrastructure, financial plans, transport feasibility, sustainability and the international attractiveness of each proposal will be compared. Berlin has now strengthened its position with the unanimous decision of the Senate, but it remains faced with competitors who are also trying to show that they can offer a credible, acceptable and modern Olympic project.
Public support and the referendum question
One of the specific features of the Berlin case is the fact that there will be no city referendum organized by the government. Unlike some other candidates, Berlin relies on different forms of public participation. As part of the process, a citizens’ charter with ten recommendations was prepared, created through workshops, visits to city districts, online consultation and a citizens’ and youth forum. Among the recommendations, the strengthening of volunteering and sports clubs, more accessible sports and recreational offerings, sustainable and accessible mobility, affordable housing, more climate-resilient urban development, inclusion of the local economy, a cultural program and active participation of young people stand out.
This topic could be politically sensitive because Olympic bids in Germany have a history of strong public scrutiny. In the past, some German projects encountered voter resistance, and organizers are now trying to avoid the impression that major sporting events are being imposed from above. The DOSB states that a positive referendum is not a formal requirement either for the IOC or for the German procedure, but it respects the decisions of local authorities that choose such a form of checking support. Munich has already received citizens’ support in a referendum, while in other areas local consultation processes are planned or have been held. Berlin, according to available information, is following the path of a political decision by the Senate, parliamentary debate and public participation through advisory formats.
For the credibility of the project, it will be important whether the city authorities can convincingly show that the citizens’ recommendations are not just a communication add-on, but a real part of planning. Promises of affordable housing, better mobility and the expansion of sports facilities often sound attractive in the bid phase, but become the subject of criticism if they are not later turned into concrete measures. BERLIN+ will therefore have to prove itself in the coming months not only as an attractive Olympic narrative, but also as a plan that can withstand questions about housing, transport, security, costs and long-term public policy priorities.
Why Berlin matters in Germany’s Olympic strategy
Berlin enters the national race with several obvious advantages. The city has global recognizability, large tourism and transport infrastructure, experience with mass events and sports facilities that can be incorporated into the Olympic schedule. The Olympic Stadium, although historically burdened, has for decades already been part of the city’s contemporary sporting and cultural life. Tempelhofer Feld, a former airport transformed into an enormous public space, is used in the bid as a symbol of urban transformation and openness. The Brandenburg Gate and other public spaces should give the bid strong visual recognizability.
At the same time, Berlin also carries special challenges. Every Olympic story in that city inevitably faces the historical question of the 1936 Games, so the contemporary project must be especially careful in the way it uses symbols, space and history. In addition, Berlin has for years faced pressures on the housing market, complex transport needs and political debates about public spending priorities. Critics of Olympic projects commonly warn that large events can accelerate price increases, push aside local needs and divert budgetary focus from basic public services. The Berlin plan therefore tries to respond with the claim that this is not about building a city for the Games, but about using the Games as an incentive for already existing development goals.
In communication terms, BERLIN+ seeks to combine a sporting event with a message about a democratic, diverse and sustainable Germany. This is important because international Olympic competition for 2036 and later years includes several interested countries and regions, and the IOC increasingly values political stability, sustainability, public support and the host’s ability to organize an event without excessive infrastructure interventions. Germany wants to enter that contest with a bid that would be convincing both at home and on the international stage.
What follows after the Senate decision
After the unanimous decision of the Berlin Senate, the BERLIN+ project enters a phase of more intensive national positioning. Until the DOSB decision, Berlin will have to further elaborate its arguments about venues, finances, security, transport, athlete accommodation, Paralympic accessibility and public inclusion. The claim that 97 percent of competition locations are already available will be especially closely watched, because it constitutes one of the main differences compared with classic Olympic plans that required substantial new construction. The success of the bid will also depend on how much Berlin succeeds in convincing German sporting and political structures that precisely the capital city has the best combination of symbolism, feasibility and international attractiveness.
The Senate’s decision is therefore not the end, but the beginning of the decisive phase. Berlin has clearly stated that it wants the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but ahead of it are months of comparisons, political persuasion and public debate. If the DOSB selects it, an even more demanding international process will follow, in which the German bid will have to fit into the IOC’s priorities and compete with other interested hosts. If, however, another German project gains the advantage, BERLIN+ will remain an important indicator of how major sporting events are being presented today: no longer only as a competition for several weeks of global attention, but as a test of a city’s ability to connect sport, infrastructure, culture and the public interest into a convincing whole.
Sources:
- Senate Chancellery Berlin – official press release on the Senate decision and the BERLIN+ concept (link)
- Berlin.de / dpa – report on the adoption of the concept, estimated costs, revenues and national competition (link)
- DOSB – official information on the German Olympic bid, four concepts and the selection procedure (link)
- Mein.Berlin.de – project information on BERLIN+ and public participation (link)
- Berlin.de / dpa – report on the citizens’ charter and recommendations for the Olympic bid (link)
- International Olympic Committee – explanation of the process for selecting future Olympic hosts (link)