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Olympics in Hamburg?

The text below corresponds to the opinion, the NOlympia Hamburg in the official Information brochure on the Citizenship referendum On May 31, 2026. In order for this to happen, NOlympia has a Popular initiative launched, which until 20 February 19,423 signatures has collected.
The official version examined by the Land Returning Officer is available for download at the bottom of this page.

We take a stand

Hamburg deserves something better.

Picture: iStock.com/Drazen Zigic

NOlympia is a broad alliance of people from all walks of life. We are united by the conviction that the Olympic & Paralympic Games create more problems for Hamburg than future opportunities.

Moin Hamburg,

The Senate advertises emotional moments and first-hand experience of the competitions as in Paris. But the reverse side and the small print are hidden.

When the elephant Olympia climbs into the household bathtub, there is no water left: Every euro that flows into the 30-day mega event is missing, for example, in education, mobility, housing and social facilities.

On average, Olympic costs were more than twice as high as previously propagated. Paris 2024 left public spending of around 6.7 billion euros. Even if there were to be a concrete funding commitment from the federal government before the referendum, a significant sum would remain, which would have to be financed by the city to the detriment of other projects.

See also: “Financial concept of games put to the test”, PDF, 1.6 MB

With the application we hand over the key of the city to an event organizer for professional sports. Its priority is not Hamburg's quality of life, but a smooth TV show and the increase in its revenues. The IOC did not tax Paris's 4.3 billion euros in revenue. Hamburg would also have to guarantee the IOC tax exemption – to the detriment of Germany and our city.

In the following paragraphs, we clearly show why we come to the conclusion:

Hamburg should say no to the Olympics.

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A NO brings concrete benefits to Hamburg

Rent & Living:

  • No more pressure on rents
  • Urgent housing becomes easier without the Olympics and not additionally expensive

Security:

  • No G20-like restrictions on freedom of movement
  • Safety where it is needed

Transport:

  • No traffic chaos due to Olympic lanes, Olympic flights & additional public transport congestion
  • Developing mobility in the sense of the future decision and implementing accessibility

Sport:

  • No XXL-Arena in Volkspark & Disposable sports facilities
  • Investment focus on the districts for sustainable grassroots sports impulse

See also: ‘The story of the Olympic Stadium that no one wants and no one needs’, PDF, 300kb

Environment:

  • No additional surface seals & Resource consumption due to temporary buildings
  • No threat to the implementation of the climate decision
  • Preservation of natural regeneration areas

Major projects:

  • No long-term planning and everyday paralysis
  • Priority on sustainable urban development

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Allegations & Facts

Is the Olympics a festival for everyone?

Nearly 300,000 people in Hamburg live below the poverty line, 38,000 are homeless.see note 1). Many exclude entrance fees such as those in Paris – an average of €110 per ticket, €1,333 for the opening ceremony. At the same time, everyone pays with their tax money the coal mine of this rich party.

Is the Olympics boosting economic growth?

All studies show: The Olympics have no significant economic benefits. Paris 2024 brought France a growth of only 0.07 %. Parisian cultural establishments (-16 percent) and overnight stays (-1.7 percent) recorded declines, as Olympic tourism crowds out others.

Does the Olympics help with housing shortages?

Rents are already taking off in ever more blatant dimensions. Olympic studies show that rents are rising even before the Games – accelerating poverty. It hits especially hard people without a secure lease and many students; As in Paris, the Senate wants to throw students out of the dormitories.

Is the Olympics not a security risk?

Paris needed a total of around 75,000 security forces – twice as many as Hamburg at the G20 summit. More than 1 million people were pre-screened and almost 5,000 were banned from accessing areas. Taxpayers paid 1.7 billion euros for this. The IOC, on the other hand, reaped over a billion surplus – tax-free.

The city needs an XXL stadium

It was not until 2024 that the planned useful life for the Volksparkstadion was extended until 2051. The existing stadium is also an attraction for world stars. An Olympic stadium is superfluous.

Does the Olympics benefit grassroots sports?

Studies show: After the games in Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and London (2012), there was no positive effect on grassroots sports. In France, it was promised to maintain the promotion of grassroots sport until 2030. As early as 2026, the budget is around 41.% ggü. It shrank in 2024.

Is the IOC a reformed partner?

It remains a Swiss association, whose leaders appoint themselves, define themselves as volunteers and collect up to 1.6 million euros per year. It preaches international understanding and at the same time dictates the subordination of countries, cities and athletes to its laws. It excludes responsibility for its professional sporting event and determines on its own what it should look like.

Is the federal government behind the application?

The amount and scope of the financing of the one-off organisation and implementation costs as well as the infrastructure costs by the federal government have not been decided. For an application, this means: The city of Hamburg bears the risks.

Only through inclusion does inclusion get a boost?

Inclusion must not be a by-product of the Olympic Games. Parasport and accessibility of the whole city are now on the agenda and not only 2044, when cameras look at it.

Can Hamburg organize the Olympics in a climate-positive way?

The Olympics cause enormous emissions from construction, traffic and air travel. In Paris, it warns about 2.1 million tons of CO2 equivalents. Compensation does not change the fact that the actual carbon footprint remains huge.

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What the city thinks and feels

“The climate catastrophe threatens our health and our future. Hamburg needs investments in a transformation towards a climate-neutral economy as well as fossil-free energy production and no additional burdens from a mega-event. The planned competitions for missing areas at central sports facilities and the foreseeable pressure on traffic and the environment cannot pass the reality check. That's why we say: No to Olympia.”

Sabine Sommer, Chairwoman of BUND-Hamburg

‘Security costs must be borne entirely by the IOC, because it is not possible for taxpayers to assume the security burden of a multibillion-dollar event while the IOC makes profits. Olympia can only be seriously discussed if all risks and obligations are openly on the table and Hamburg does not take over financially in addition to already expensive major projects.“

S. Mummenhof, Association of Taxpayers Hamburg e.V.

“The gigantic Olympia money machine was just missing from Hamburg. The inhabitants are already suffering from the maximum eventing of their hometown anyway, but that would knock the barrel out of the ground.”

Rocko Schamoni, Artists

‘Because the University of Hamburg has to cut massively, the Studierendenwerk attracts canteen prices and dormitory rents. At the same time, at least one third of all students live in poverty. Why should you help students in Hamburg when you can tip the money for a so-called prestige object in the Elbe?“

J. Oreskovic, ASTA Speaker for Social Movements

"Short-term construction projects and their dismantling are a burden not only financially, but also on the city's carbon footprint.For the future of our children in this beautiful city, we demand to focus on the essential project of climate neutrality and to invest in a socially positive climate neutrality. No to disposable Olympics. YES to a sustainable future.”

Parents for Future Hamburg

‘The additional flight movements of UEFA EURO 2024 have caused 41 tsd t CO2 equivalents. This is almost equivalent to Hamburg Airport's domestic air traffic in 2023. The games would do that. The reality is far from the sustainability promises of the application.”

Martin Mosel, Chairman of the Environmental Association BIG Fluglärm

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Picture: iStock.com/Rawpixel

It's our city.

Let's not let them take us out of our hands.

annotations

1. Homeless people in Hamburg

Under ‘homeless“ is understood to mean: living on the street – ‘without a roof’ or in a tent in demolition houses, construction sites, etc.).

‘Homeless“, on the other hand, denotes all people who do not have an apartment. In other words, those in "Regulatory accommodation“ (e.g. in urban accommodation – the vast majority), or the “Concealed homeless“ are – living with friends, often called “couchsurfers”, or “on the street” (without shelter, tent in the forest, demolition houses, etc.). If you want to know exactly, you can go to the European typology for homelessness, homelessness and precarious housing Read it.

It makes sense to look at the different forms of homelessness together. Because all of these people need housing..

In Hamburg In fact, there are currently around 38.000 homeless People – a number that has risen sharply in recent years due to the wars in Syria and Ukraine.
All municipalities report on the basis of a federal law once a year the number and some demographic information on the accommodated homeless people. In the Database of the Federal Statistical Office This detailed data can be found.

In Homeless report of the Federal Government (2024) these data are prepared and in relation to the housing of homeless people (expressed in the form ‘per 10,000 inhabitants’) see p. 90/91.  

Together they are round 38.000 persons; That's about 2% the Population of HamburgS! A number that is constantly met with disbelief.

If you are interested in background information (with data from 2023) and what to do in terms of housing policy in Hamburg, you can e.g. look here.

You can also find more up-to-date data and facts on homelessness and homelessness here.

Also pay attention the thematic website on homelessness by Stephan Nagel, who provided us with this information

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