In a citizen vote, a clear majority of Munich residents supported bidding for the Olympic Summer Games. Around 62 to 66 percent favored a candidacy for 2036, 2040, or 2044, with a record turnout of over 39 percent. This represents a turnaround since the 2013 rejection.
The citizen vote in Munich over the weekend resulted in a clear yes to bidding for the Olympic Summer Games. Initial counts show about 62 percent voting in favor, though another estimate puts it at 66 percent. Turnout reached more than 39 percent of eligible voters, a record for a Munich referendum that easily surpassed the ten percent quorum.
This outcome is surprisingly decisive, especially after the failure of a similar effort in 2013, when Munich rejected a bid for the 2022 Winter Games. Skepticism over costs and environmental impacts prevailed then. Today, sentiment has brightened, possibly influenced by the positive experiences of last summer's Paris Games. Many Parisians, initially skeptical, reported at the end of a light and cheerful atmosphere in the city.
The path to hosting remains long. Nationally, Munich competes with Hamburg, Berlin, and a Rhine-Ruhr bid. The German Olympic Sports Confederation plans to decide by at latest September 2026 at an extraordinary assembly. Afterward, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will rule amid strong international competition. Opponents continue to warn of incalculable high costs, but the result signals growing confidence in the benefits for city and nation.