Olympic and Paralympic Games on the Rhine and Ruhr? Aachen decides!
Should the city of Aachen take part in the bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games? This will be decided by the population in a referendum.
Voting will take place exclusively by letter. All eligible voters will receive their documents between March 9 and 29. They can cast their vote until April 19. The results will then be counted on this day, as in the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia.
For the result to be valid, a minimum turnout of 10 percent must be achieved, so every vote counts! Further details can be found here: aachen.de/ratsbuergerentscheid
Aachen can do the Olympics
Under the slogan "Our cities. Our Games.", 17 cities on the Rhine and Ruhr are bidding to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040 or 2044. Thanks to the unique local infrastructure, soccer and equestrian sports are to be held in Aachen. Internationally renowned as a stronghold of equestrian sport, the CHIO and the World Equestrian Games show that the imperial city is a stage for world sport. But Aachen also lives sport in the stands - our Tivoli stands for passionate, emotional soccer and a rousing atmosphere far beyond the city and state borders. With first-class sports facilities and decades of experience in hosting major events, Aachen is ideally placed to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sport moves people, hearts and entire cities. Aachen stands for top sporting performance like almost no other city.
The most compact, sustainable and spectacular games
North Rhine-Westphalia offers athletes the biggest stage for the greatest moment of their careers. Millions of guests could make a pilgrimage to the packed stadiums in the future and we, as cosmopolitan and sport-loving hosts, will give them a warm welcome.
Aachen is already benefiting from this today: investments are flowing, sports facilities are being modernized, mobility and accessibility are being considered further, and exercise is being promoted in schools and daycare centers. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are accelerating necessary development projects.
Most sports venues in NRW are within 40 km or 60 minutes' drive. Around 95% of the athletes live in the joint Olympic and Paralympic Village. With around 14 million tickets sold throughout NRW, a record number of spectators for the Olympics would be broken. More information: https://olympiabewerbung.nrw/
Until April 19, 2026, you have it in your hands: your vote will write Olympic and Paralympic history. Because you decide whether Aachen applies to the German Olympic Sports Confederation as a national candidate for the 2036, 2040 and 2044 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Further information
olympiabewerbung.nrw
Political statements on the application (PDF)
Political advertising
The sponsor is the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The advertisement is linked to the referendum on April 19, 2026 on the planned CologneRhineRuhr bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games from 2036.
Complete transparency information: www.olympiabewerbung.nrw/transparenzerklaerung