Which city declined to host the Olympics?

Many cities have declined to host or bid for the Olympics, or have withdrawn after initially bidding, often due to cost, public opposition, or political reasons. One of the most famous recent examples is Hamburg, Germany, which in 2015 held a public referendum where 51.6% of voters rejected its bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, forcing the city to withdraw. Similarly, Budapest, Hungary withdrew its bid for the 2024 Olympics in 2017 after strong public protests and a petition drive. Calgary, Canada declined to host the 2026 Winter Olympics after a 2018 plebiscite where 56% voted no, citing cost concerns. In 2013, Munich, Germany voted against bidding for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Denver, Colorado is the only city to ever win the right to host the Olympics and then decline; Denver was awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics in 1970 but Colorado voters rejected public funding in a 1972 referendum, forcing the IOC to move the Games to Innsbruck, Austria. Other cities that considered bids but declined to proceed include Stockholm, Krakow, Lviv, and Oslo for 2022 due to cost. Los Angeles was the only bidder that remained for 2028 after other cities withdrew. These withdrawals reflect growing public scrutiny of Olympic costs, which often exceed $10 billion.