facebook-pixel

Tyrol residents reject Innsbruck’s 2026 Olympics bid

Vienna • Innsbruck is expected to drop plans to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics after a majority of residents rejected the idea in a referendum on Sunday.

Results show 53.35 percent of eligible voters in the province of Tyrol opposed Innsbruck's ambition to host the games, with 67.41 percent of city residents saying “no.”

Innsbruck is the capital of the Tyrol province.

Results from postal voting will be announced Monday but were not expected to significantly change the outcome.

Though the referendum is not legally binding, the Tyrol government has said it will respect its outcome.

Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Games twice, in 1964 and 1976, but its residents voted against another bid in 1993 and again in 1997. Since then, Austria has had several failed bids, most recently with Salzburg for the 2014 Games.