New stadium for Olympia: Senate renounces needs analysis

The Senate is planning a multipurpose arena based on the model of the 1.75 billion euros expensive¹ Bernabéu stadiums² in Madrid – but refrains from an empirical needs analysis that could answer whether Hamburg needs such a stadium at all. This results in a request from the left-wing faction (Drs. 23/2423). This is remarkable in that until May 2025 there was no mention of the need for a new arena. Sports Senator Andy Grote presented the plan at the presentation of the concept for the Hamburg Olympic bid. Previously, plans had been rejected to build a temporary Olympic stadium on the Heiligengeistfeld, because the site would be too small for it. The arena will serve as an athletics stadium during the Olympic Games and then, after expansion, will be used by the HSV as a multi-purpose arena. In addition, the Senate argues that a new building opens up new opportunities for major concerts by international stars.

NOlympia Hamburg considers this reasoning to be unenforceable. speakers Eckart Maudrich declares:

‘The Senate constructs a need which it does not substantiate. For a new building in these dimensions, an empirical, verifiable needs analysis is required. The Bernabéu model is also a idiosyncratic interpretation of the term “Hanseatic-down-to-earth”: However, with a total cost of 1.76 billion euros at an initially estimated 500-575 million, it fits seamlessly into the expectation horizon for major Hamburg projects and the historic cost overrun of the Olympic Summer Games.³The Olympic finances will lead it as “anyway investment costs”, as Hamburg would supposedly build the arena anyway. This contrasts, however, with the reality of the HSV’s ‘Always-on-da-Volksparkstadion’, which already runs until 2051.⁴– well beyond the application deadline of 2044. Those who do not suffer from loss of reality know: International stars such as Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, The weekend or Ed Sheeran occur here regularly. The Senate is therefore talking about opportunities that have long been a reality. He talks about new needs that he cannot prove with documents⁵and claims investment efficiencies for which he has no calculation⁶. In short: The multi-purpose arena is an empty-purpose arena, which was conceived only for the Olympic bid. The fact that Olympic Games and multipurpose arenas in the suburbs do not trigger any sporting benefits for sports in schools and sports clubs in the city has been scientifically clarified.⁷. Of all the factors that influence sporting activity, the orientation of the games is the least important⁸.“

1 The Athletic: Real Madrids Bernabéu stadium renovation costs stand EUR 1.76bn.

2 Hamburger Abendblatt, 19.12.2025

3 Source: Budzier/Flyvberg: The Oxford Olympics Study 2024. July 2024.S9 and 20

4 HSV annual accounts 30 June 2024, p,8. The HSV is responsible for the liability issues for any misinformation in the management report.
responsible.

5 BDrs. 23-02423: “A classical-empirical needs analysis has not taken place.”

6 Neither in the Freedom of information request In addition to the BDRs. 23-02423 The Senate was able to answer cost/benefit questions for sport, culture, tourism and business

7 The Guardian. London 2012, 10 years on.

8 Chen, S, Liang, X, Hu, X & Yan, X 2022, Assessing the long-term inspirational impact of sporting-mega-events on sport and physical activity participation: postevents’ evidence from the UK and China, p.24.