On May 31, Hamburg’s citizens will decide in a referendum on a possible bid by the city to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Hamburg City Parliament unanimously approved the Senate’s proposal and released around 7.2 million euros for the organization and implementation of the referendum.

The question put to the vote is whether the German Olympic Sports Confederation should bid for the 2036, 2040 or 2044 Games together with the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The possible answers are “yes” or “no”.

Hamburg’s First Mayor Peter Tschentscher once again spoke out in favor of a bid. He explained that he was counting on a clear vote from the people of Hamburg in favor of the Olympic Games and hoped for broad support.

Impetus also came from Paris. During a visit to Hamburg, the deputy mayor for sport there referred to the positive effects of the 2024 Olympic Games. Paris is willing to share experiences from planning and implementation with Hamburg.

At the same time, there is criticism of an Olympic bid. The NOlympia alliance has published a brochure with arguments against an Olympic Games in Hamburg. The topics covered include cost issues, climate protection and the International Olympic Committee. The alliance is planning to collect signatures at the end of January to include the brochure in the voting documents.

A narrow majority had already spoken out against a bid for the 2024 Olympic Games in the 2015 referendum. The reasons given at the time included financial risks and a lack of commitments from the federal government.

In addition to Hamburg, other regions are also considering a bid. Munich has already agreed, North Rhine-Westphalia is planning a consultation, Berlin has not yet planned a referendum. The German Olympic Sports Confederation wants to decide on the German candidate in the fall.