Olympics: Kiel residents say "Yes!" to the Games - candidate selection continues

The people in the home port of Kieler Woche are in favour of a bid by the Schleswig-Holstein state capital to co-host the Summer Olympics in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Around 192,000 voters were eligible to vote. in the Kiel Olympic referendum were called to vote on 19 April. The vote was clear with 63.5 per cent voting "yes". 36.5 per cent voted "no".

Olympic referendum in Kiel: Kämpfer delighted with "brilliant result"

Compared to the referendum on the bid for the 2024 Olympic Games - back then, 65.6 per cent of Kiel residents were in favour of the Olympics in their own city, while 34.4 per cent were against - the positive attitude of the people of Schleswig-Holstein has changed very little. Their city would like to organise an Olympic sailing regatta for the third time after 1936 and 1972. And possibly also host further competitions.

Kiel's outgoing Lord Mayor Ulf Kämpfer said: "I am delighted with this brilliant result. Almost two thirds, very close to Munich. They were also very strong. And unlike in 2015, where we (ed.: referring to Kiel) won once before, it is not yet clear who will be competing in Germany. We still have a strong competitor in Rostock-Warnemünde. There was no referendum there. That's why this is a very strong signal to the DOSB and the main competitor cities: Kiel is a force to be reckoned with!"

Kiel is fully committed to the Olympics." Ulf Kämpfer

Kiel's chief motivator on the Olympic course and Kiel Week fan Kämpfer also said in the Schleswig-Holstein magazine programme on NDR: "We're doing the bid with the state. I'm switching to state politics. Wherever I am, I will continue to strongly support the Olympic bid." That should also be the case with the 132nd Kiel Week which will take place this summer from 20 to 28 June.

On course for the Olympics: the candidate selection continues

With their vote, the people of Kiel have emphasised their desire for the Olympics. Politics, business and sport had previously campaigned strongly in favour of the Olympics. The city's official website stated: "Kiel can do the Olympics and wants to be part of it as a sailing location. Because sailing is firmly anchored in the DNA of Kiel.Sailing.City." After the positive vote, the state capital announced: "Kiel will therefore continue to be involved in the bidding process for the Olympic and Paralympic Games."

The question remains as to whose side can make this possible. With Hamburg, Munich, Berlin and Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr, a total of four major candidates are bidding to host the Olympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Kiel or Rostock-Warnemünde are on board, depending on which candidate is sent into the international ring following the national decision by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on 26 September.

Two of the major candidates have only opted for Kiel (Hamburg, Munich), one for Kiel or Rostock-Warnemünde (Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr) as a sailing partner.Berlin has already given Rostock-Warnemünde the sole nod in the event that it is nominated as a candidate for the German capital.

Olympics in Germany: Who will prevail?

While the Munich had already spoken out clearly in favour of the Olympics in their referendum in October 2025, the Olympic referendum for the Cologne-Rhine-Ruhr candidate also ran parallel to the Kiel referendum on 19 April. More than four million people were called to vote in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to initial estimates, around 1.4 million took part.

Initial voting results in Dortmund and Duisburg, for example, showed a high level of approval of around 70 per cent in each case, and even more than 75 per cent in Aachen. In Herten, on the other hand, the required minimum turnout for the referendum was not achieved. As a result, the city has been eliminated from the bid. Here you can view the results of the individual cities in the NRW advertising programme can be viewed here.

Beyond that, the candidate selection process remains exciting, as the Olympic referendum in Hamburg is still pending. Between the Elbe and Alster rivers, supporters are optimistic that they will be able to turn the close vote from 2015 into a "yes" this time. The citizens of the Hanseatic city are being asked to vote by post and on 31 May. In Hamburg, the motto for the planned Olympic bid is "An opportunity for all".

The DOSB will decide this year

All interested applicants must then submit their concepts to the DOSB by 4 June. Just under four months will then remain nationally to identify and select the best candidate as the German applicant on the international stage. This is also when the decision will be made as to which sailing area will be allowed to compete. What Hamburg's sports senator Andy Grote said about the intensive endeavours applies to everyone: "The Olympics is what we all make of it together."

This was one of the clips Kiel used to promote the Olympics. The "Yay!" from the people of Kiel came on 19 April: