Hamburg ahead of a decisive Olympic referendum: DOSB says there is no continuation of the race without citizens' support
Hamburg is entering the final stretch of the most important political and sporting decision in its new Olympic bid. On Sunday, May 31, 2026, voters in that German city will decide whether Hamburg should continue competing for the status of German candidate to organize the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The outcome of the vote will not in itself mean that the Games will come to Hamburg, but it will determine whether the city can remain in the national procedure led by the German Olympic Sports Confederation, known by the abbreviation DOSB. That is precisely why the referendum has become a key point of the entire process, and not merely a local political statement on a sports project.
Stephan Brause, head of the Olympic bid at the DOSB, described the vote in an interview with the Hamburg magazine Hamburger Klönschnack as a fundamental condition for Hamburg's further participation in the race. According to him, it has been clear to the DOSB from the beginning that there can be no bid against the will of the population. Brause also emphasized that Germany is genuinely preparing for an Olympic bid this time and that, unlike the debates from 2015, the question is no longer whether Germany will try at all to bring the Games, but where a possible German bid should be based.
The referendum as a filter in the national race
Hamburg is competing for the German nomination with Berlin, Munich, and the KölnRheinRuhr concept, which brings together cities and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia. On its official pages, the DOSB announced that all four concepts had passed the first phase of review and that the selection of the national candidate is taking place in three steps. In the first phase, the sustainability of the proposed concepts, the availability of sports and training facilities, hotel capacities, transport logic, and overall feasibility were examined. In the second phase, local communities were given the opportunity to hold referendums by the end of June 2026, while in the final phase the German candidate should be selected on the basis of an evaluation matrix and an assessment of international competitiveness.
For Hamburg, that second phase is particularly sensitive because the city carries the experience of its unsuccessful bid from 2015. At that time, voters rejected the plan for a bid for the 2024 or 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which halted the project at the time and left a strong political mark. In the new procedure, the city authorities are trying to show that the concept has changed, that it is more cautious financially and in terms of urban planning, and that it relies on existing infrastructure. However, the referendum itself will show whether that is enough for social legitimation.
According to Hamburg's official information, voters are deciding whether the city should continue its bid in the DOSB's national selection. The vote will be held on May 31, 2026, and the option of postal voting opened earlier, from the end of April. Hamburg has also organized informational activities and public debates so that residents can gain insight into the concept, costs, and expected effects before voting. According to announcements by the city administration, the goal is to present the bid as a project that fits into existing urban development, and not as a plan to which the city would have to subordinate itself for the needs of a major sporting event.
DOSB seeks the concept with the best international prospects
In the interview with Hamburger Klönschnack, Brause avoided ranking individual candidates, emphasizing that from his position he observes the national interest. He pointed out that all candidates had improved their concepts in recent months and developed recognizable advantages. For the DOSB, according to his explanation, the overall state of the project will be decisive: international visibility, financial sustainability, transport feasibility, acceptability for athletes and spectators, social support, and the ability to present the German bid as convincing before the International Olympic Committee.
Within that framework, Hamburg emphasizes compactness, short distances, the city's water identity, and the possibility of holding competitions in an environment that is already recognizable. The city concept provides for the Games to be integrated as much as possible into the existing urban fabric, using existing or temporary sports facilities. Hamburg's authorities claim that there will be no expensive new venues exclusively for the needs of the Games and that the project should rely on sports infrastructure that the city already has or plans to develop anyway.
In September 2025, the DOSB officially confirmed that Hamburg meets the conditions for continuing the development of the bid. According to a statement by the Hamburg Senate, the confederation had previously reviewed the concepts of all four candidates and assessed whether they were aligned with the basic criteria. Sports senator Andy Grote then assessed that the DOSB's decision had given the city additional momentum, while the head of Hamburg's preliminary project, Steffen Rülke, emphasized that the city had sufficient sports and training facilities, hotel capacities, and a logical concept for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The changed Olympic framework after 2015
One of the main arguments of supporters of the new bid is the claim that the Olympic Games and the way they are awarded have changed compared with the time when Hamburg first went to a referendum. In the interview, Brause emphasized that the framework of the International Olympic Committee had changed since then, primarily through the reform documents known as Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5. According to that approach, hosts should no longer have to adapt to the major demands of the Games; rather, the Games should adapt to the city and its existing plans.
Such an approach is important for Hamburg because the city's argument rests on the thesis that a new Olympic city is not being built, but that existing development goals can be accelerated through an international sporting event. In official announcements, Hamburg cites barrier-free accessibility, the development of sport in schools, the modernization of mobility, and the strengthening of sports infrastructure as possible long-term benefits. Critics, however, warn that major sporting events often carry financial risks, political pressures, and the possibility that public money will be directed into projects that would not have priority without an Olympic bid.
The main political debate is taking shape precisely around that difference. Supporters speak of an opportunity for Hamburg to gain additional momentum for the development of the city and sport, while opponents call for caution because of possible costs, security obligations, and long-term financial guarantees. According to legal analyses published in German specialist media, the referendum provides political legitimation, but it does not replace later decisions on the budget, permits, infrastructure investments, and contracts. Even in the event of a positive outcome, city bodies and German sports institutions will have to make additional decisions in several phases.
Finances remain one of the central topics
In public appearances, the Hamburg Senate states that the budget for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games is estimated at around 4.8 billion euros. According to reports by German media citing city estimates and financial analyses, that amount relates primarily to the organizational part, including the costs of competitions, technology, staff, marketing, and operational implementation. Separate from that are investments in urban infrastructure, which would have to be assessed according to their own rules and priorities.
Supporters of the bid argue that part of the investment would have been necessary for the city anyway, especially in transport, accessibility, and sports facilities, so they see the Olympic framework as a way to accelerate and better coordinate development. Opponents warn that such estimates are often optimistic and that international experience with major sporting events shows that costs can increase. For that reason, the debate in Hamburg is not only about sport, but also about public finances, urban-planning priorities, and citizens' trust in the authorities' ability to manage the project transparently.
The NOlympia Hamburg initiative, which opposes the bid, managed to collect a sufficient number of signatures for its position to be included in the official information materials for the referendum. According to available information, opponents of the bid emphasize that funds might be more needed for housing, education, social policy, transport, and climate measures. In this way, the referendum gains broader political significance because the question of the Olympic bid is linked to debates about the model of the city's development and the distribution of public funds.
Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, and KölnRheinRuhr in different positions
The German procedure for selecting a candidate differs from city to city because local votes are conducted according to different legal frameworks. On its official website, the DOSB states that Munich already received voters' support for continuing its bid in October 2025, while in April 2026 voters in the relevant units connected with the KölnRheinRuhr concept and residents of Kiel as a possible venue for sailing competitions also voted positively. Berlin, according to available information, is taking a different political path because it does not have the same form of referendum as Hamburg, although debates about public support and political legitimation are also taking place in the capital.
This means that Hamburg is going to the referendum at a time when some competitors have already passed important local tests. Brause therefore emphasized in the interview that Munich and KölnRheinRuhr are a step further in the area of social legitimation because the referendum processes there have already ended with positive results. For Hamburg, that is a message that without clear voter support it cannot count on an equal continuation of the race, no matter how technically convincing its concept may be.
The DOSB's national decision is expected in autumn 2026. According to DOSB information, the final selection should be based on an evaluation matrix that includes international competitiveness and economic sustainability. The German candidate would then enter into a more formal relationship with the International Olympic Committee through the reformed procedure, including the so-called continuous dialogue. The DOSB does not yet have to choose the exact year of the Games, because the German bid is being considered for 2036, 2040, or 2044.
A decision that goes beyond sport
The Hamburg referendum is therefore not merely a vote on a sporting spectacle. It is a test of trust in the city's concept, financial estimates, organizational capacity, and the promise that the Games can be integrated into the everyday life of the metropolis on the Elbe. For supporters of the bid, the Olympic project represents an opportunity for Hamburg to demonstrate international openness, accelerate the development of infrastructure and sport, and take advantage of the changed rules of the Olympic movement. For opponents, it is a financially risky project that could redirect public attention and money away from residents' more urgent needs.
From the DOSB's perspective, the message is simple: the German bid is being prepared, but local support remains one of the key prerequisites for every candidate that wants to carry the national project. If Hamburg receives majority support on May 31, it will continue the race toward the DOSB's final decision. If voters are against it, the city will practically exclude itself from the national selection, and Germany's Olympic ambition will continue to rely on the remaining candidates.
That is why Brause's assessment that the referendum is the foundation for the continuation of the process is important beyond Hamburg's borders as well. It shows that a modern Olympic bid is no longer measured only by stadiums, hotels, and transport plans, but also by the ability of a host to convince its own citizens. In Hamburg, on May 31, 2026, it will become clear whether the project has enough trust for the next step.
Sources:
- Hamburger Klönschnack – interview with Stephan Brause about Hamburg's Olympic bid, the role of the referendum, and the DOSB's position (link)
- German Olympic Sports Confederation, DOSB – official information on the procedure for Germany's bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044 (link)
- City of Hamburg, Ministry of the Interior and Sport – statement on the DOSB's confirmation that Hamburg meets all requirements for further development of the bid (link)
- City of Hamburg, Ministry of the Interior and Sport – statement on launching the referendum and involving citizens in the discussion about the bid (link)
- City of Hamburg – information on the referendum for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Hamburg on May 31, 2026 (link)
- Legal Tribune Online – legal analysis of the Olympic bid procedure, the role of local referendums, and the DOSB's responsibilities (link)