FAQ

Special Olympics National Games Berlin 2022 Opening Ceremony and Competition tickets are now on sale. You can find all information here.
Closing Ceremony tickets will be announced in the coming weeks.
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We do not offer refunds on tickets sold. The Special Olympics National Games is a charity organisation and all money raised goes towards our athletes and our charity's aims. 

If you have tickets for ceremonies, special events or weekly competition tickets: no exchanges are possible.

Competition Day Tickets: You may request to exchange your ticket to another competition day until 23:59 on Saturday the 4th of June 2022 (14 days before the beginning of the National Games). After this date, no exchanges are possible. In order to do this, please follow these steps:

1. Purchase tickets to the new day. Make sure to purchase them under the same account.

2. Submit a request to our support team through your ticket log in or email visit@berlin2023.org confirming you would like an exchange.

3. We will confirm the new tickets and refund the older tickets.

4. Note the 1 euro per a ticket system fee will not be refunded.

5. Tickets must be of same or higher value than original booking.

Our standard policy is that lost tickets cannot be replaced, however, in some circumstances, as an act of goodwill, replacements can be arranged.

Please contact our support team through your ticket account or email visit@berlin2023.org confirming that you have lost your tickets and our team will be in touch to discuss your options.

You can buy a ticket to the Special Olympics National Games Berlin 2022 the following ways:

1. Purchase online at www.berlin2022.org/en/tickets

2. Call our spectator hotline at +49 (0)30-629336084

3. Purchase at Entrance to the venue (please note these points will be card only)

Yes! If not sold out, every venue will have a ticket and information point at the entrance where you can buy your ticket. Please note only card payment is possible at the venue. We recommend you buy in advance so you are not disappointed and can receive important information pre-event.

Yes. If you are unable to attend, you're welcome to transfer your ticket to a friend of family member. Please see our Terms and Conditions for restrictions around commercial selling.

To transfer your ticket, you must change the personalisation of the ticket, to do so, log into your ticketing account and select 'change personalisation' and replace the name.

In the case of a concession ticket transfer, the person receiving the ticket must also qualify for a concession ticket. There is no ability to 'upgrade' the ticket and pay the price difference to become a standard ticket.

The individual must have their proof of concession available to show if requested when at the venue.

If your child is 2 years and under, they do not require a ticket, they may enter any event for free.

If attending the Opening Ceremony, if your child requires a seat, please purchase a Concession ticket. Children 2 years and under attending the Opening Ceremony without a ticket must be held in the adults lap.

Please note the Ceremonies will include loud music and bright lights.

Opening Ceremony: please call our team on +49 (0)30-629336084 or email us at visit@berlin2023.org to purchase a wheelchair seat for yourself and your companions.

Closing Ceremony: the event is general admission and is largely wheelchair accessible. A viewing platform will be available. Please call or email us to receive further instructions.

Competitions: These events are general admission and no reservation of wheelchair seats is required. Please see our accessibility page for more information on the accessibility of each location.

More information on our accessibility services can be found here.

Our events are a mixture of indoor and outdoor events. In most instances, the event will continue regardless of wet weather. We recommend you check the weather forecast on the day of attending and dress appropriately.

If the weather is deemed too extreme and it is not safe to continue, a session may be rescheduled or cancelled. Announcements will be made on our app (to be released in coming months) and on our social media.

Yes! Your ticket permits you entry to every sport, from open to close. But remember that not all sports require a ticket, check the ticketing page on the website for more information. Each sport will also have different start and finish times, depending on the schedule. Detailed schedules will be released in the coming months.

No, your ticket is an overall day ticket that gives you access to our venues, but not to a specific sport or time. You can use the ticket to move across our sports and watch a little bit of everything. Access to a particular session will be on 'first arrived' allocation. If the capacity of a venue is reached, we will recommend you visit another venue close by or you can wait until seating becomes available.

If there is a particular session you wish to see, we recommend you arrive early to secure your seat.

Purchased tickets and Fans in the Stands tickets: Yes. Your ticket includes free public transport within Berlin zones A, B and C for the day of your ticket's validity. The ticket must be personalised with the travelling individual's name and must have the VBB logo on the ticket. You can present the ticket both physically and digitally.

Complimentary tickets: free tickets do not include free public transport. If in doubt, look for the VBB logo on your ticket. This does not include Fans in the Stands tickets.

No. You have the ability to download your ticket as a pdf or use Apple Wallet to store it. We recommend you do so before you arrive to the venue as we cannot guarantee phone reception at all venues for all providers.

Print@home tickets do not need to be printed, they can be shown digitally at the venue.

After purchasing your tickets, you will be required to personalise your ticket and then you can download your ticket as a PDF. Once this is done, you can send this PDF to your friends or family to use.

Check the ticketing platform for more information on whether a ticket is required for a specific sport.
The free events for the National Games include:

- Special Olympics Festival
- Cycling
- Beach Volleyball
- Golf

Nearly all sports are available to watch. However, due to venue restrictions, some sports are not open to the general public. They are:

1. Bowling

2. Bocce

Make sure you check the ticketing page to confirm if you require a ticket for each day.

The first schedule is available on our website here. Please note this is subject to changes.

More detailed schedules can be found on the respective sports or event page.

It is the responsibility of the ticket holder to keep up to date with the latest schedule.

If you have purchased a ticket, they must be personalised with the name of the individual ticket holder before they can be downloaded. This is allow the tickets to be used for public transport and to assist with Covid precautions.

Tickets do not need to be personalised immediately, you can log into your account at any time to do so. Names can also be changed if your plans change.

Competitions: No! You can simply show your accreditation at the gate to enter any sport as a spectator (pending capacity).

Opening Ceremony: Athletes and those in the parade do not require a ticket. All others sitting in the stands require a free ticket, which will be provided free of charge.

Closing Ceremony: You can show your accreditation at the gates to allow entry.

Special Olympics National Games will be following the regulations regarding public events set out by The Berlin Senate at the time of event.

The regulations can be found on the Berlin Senate website here. Currently no proof of vaccination will be required to gain admittance, but this is subject to change.

If the Berlin Senate updates it's Covid restrictions and you are unable to use your ticket due to being unvaccinated (without medical exemption), you are not eligible for a refund as the risk of policy change was explained to you at the point of purchase. You are welcome to pass your ticket on to a friend or family member.

For support with your tickets, please call our Ticketing hotline +49 (0)30-629336084 . Or send a message to our support team through your ticket log in. 

Tickets will be posted from the 1st of May 2022. If you have requested that your tickets were mailed to you by post and they are yet to arrive. Please send us an email to visit@berlin2023.org and we will be able to assist.

If your digital tickets are yet to arrive. Please check that your email address was correct and that the tickets are not in your spam folder. The tickets should also be available in your ticket account under "Orders". You can also contact our support team through your ticket account or email visit@berlin2023.org.

Our venues are a mix of indoor and outdoor events. At our indoor venues, all visitors are required to wear a medical mask while inside.

• Weapons of any kind as well as objects capable of being used as weapons or as projectiles. Including devices for self-defence such as pepper sprays.
  
• Glass containers and bottles, cans or other objects made of glass or any other fragile, splintering or particularly hard material which, by their nature, could cause injury.
  
• Pyrotechnic material such as fireworks, Bengal fires, smoke bombs, smoke powder, flares, sparklers, etc. 
  
• Straight umbrellas (non-collapsible)
  
• Laser pointers
  
• Selfie sticks
  
• Bags and backpacks bigger than 50 x 35 x 20 cm. The security service may carry out bag and backpack checks at its own discretion.
  
• Writings, posters, emblems and other objects (including items of clothing) that serve the purpose of inadmissible expression of opinion (e.g. racist, xenophobic, radical right-wing, anti-Semitic, National Socialist or political propaganda material)
  
• Drugs as defined by the German Narcotics Act (BtMG); their consumption shall likewise be prohibited
  
• Alcoholic beverages
  
• Animals of any kind; with the exception of guide dogs and assistance dogs in agreement with the operator/Host
  
• Plastic canisters, plastic bottles or tetrapacks containing beverages for personal use in excess of a maximum quantity of 500 ml per person
  
• Private sports equipment, e.g. bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades

Additional conditions on prohibited objects for Opening and Closing Ceremonies:

• Items bigger than 210 x 290 mm (including bags)
  
• Helmets
  
• Metal bottles of any size

Competitions: Waterbottles are allowed onsite. The bottle must be 500ml or smaller. Glass bottles are not permitted. We reserve the right to inspect the contents of all bottles and request they be emptied if it is suspected to contain alcohol. Any bottles that not fall within our conditions must be disposed of or left at our storage facilities.

Ceremonies and special events: Please note metal waterbottles (stainless steel or aluminium) will not be accepted onsite at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Only foldable umbrellas are allowed. Straight umbrellas (non-collapsible) can not be taken into the venue

Competitions: strollers and prams are permitted onsite at all competition venues. We reserve the right to inspect all carridges and bags at venue entry points. Dedicated storage points will be available at each venue. These locations will not be staffed and the Special Olympics National Games takes no responsibility for any loss, damage or theft.

Ceremonies: strollers and prams will not be permitted onsite at the venue.

You may bring your own food and drink, on the provision that it is limited to one small portion for 1 individual's immediate consumption onsite. Any food or beverage brought that is deemed to be larger than this will not be permitted and we will ask you to leave it with our Storage team or dispose of it. Food and beverage kiosks will be available at every venue.

No, we cannot allow solid furniture onsite.

Yes. All our venues will have food and drink stalls available.

Please refer to our Terms and Conditions available on here.

Yes.

Competitions: with your ticket you can visit as many different venues and sports as you would like in once day. Your one ticket will provide you entry to all spaces.

Ceremonies: you are able to leave and re-enter the venue. However you must be sure to scan out your ticket before leaving the venue to ensure re-entry. If you do not scan out, we can not permit you to re-enter.

We love to receive feedback both positive and constructive. To leave feedback, you can contact us at visit@berlin2023.org or you can visit one of our Info Points and the team will be happy to assist.

Children under the age of 14 shall be admitted if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Children over 14 years of age who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian may be required to present an appropriate official ID to prove their identity.

If your child is 2 years and under they do not require a ticket. If attending the Opening Ceremony and your child is under 2 they must not occupy a seat. If they require a seat you must buy a ticket for them.

Yes. We have storage facilities available onsite at all venues. Facilities are free of charge. Special Olympics National Games 2022 takes no responsibility for any loss, damage or theft that may occur while using these services.

You can find the sports schedule here. 
(all information subject to change)

Our Spectator Support hotline is open Monday - Friday 10am - 5pm.

Yes, all venues will have First Aid services available.

Yes! We encourage you to bring your own posters and banners to cheer on our athletes. If your poster is large, we'll work with you to make sure it does not impact other spectators.

If you have lost an item on site, you can do the following:

1. Visit the information booth at the venue (located at the main gates) and the team can confirm if an item has been handed in.

2. Submit a lost item report on our website here. The site will automatically confirm if the item has been found and our team can also get in touch if it is handed in.

All our venues are accessible by wheelchair. More information about each venue is available in German here. 

Yes. Some venues will have wheelchairs available for free loan during the event. Numbers are limited so it's recommended that you reserve in advance.

To reserve a chair, please email visit@berlin2023.org.

Sign language interpretation will be possible at the following events:

1. Opening Ceremony

2. Closing Ceremony

3. Special Olympics Festival (certain stage events only, program to be confirmed)

For more information about best seating, please be in touch.

Other events are yet to be confirmed.

Yes. If you require a carer ticket, please call +49 (0)30-629336084 or email visit@berlin2023.org and we can assist. Carer tickets will be free of charge, but must be booked along with the ticket for the person you are accompanying.

The individual being accompanied must possess a Schwerbehindertenausweis (Disabled Person Card) with a B designation on the card (Begleitperson).

Yes, all venues will accept guide dogs. 

Please be in touch with our team to discuss, as some venues cannot accomodate large scooters.

All of our venues are wheelchair accessible.

Ceremonies: Please call +49 (0)30-629336084 or email visit@berlin2023.org and we can assist with booking your tickets. A limited number of seats are available.

Competition: All seats across our venues are general admission and are not reserved. You do not need to contact our team, you are welcome to book a concession ticket and explore our program.

More information about each venue is available in German here. 

If you have a specific question, please email visit@berlin2023.org and we'll be able to assist you.

If you have a specific seating requirement, please be in touch with our team on +49 (0)30-629336084 or visit@berlin2023.org and we can assist.

Please note most of our venues are general admission and no reserved seating is possible, but our team will work with you to make your visit as comfortable as possible.

More information about each venue is available in German here. 

If there's a particular service you require, please be in touch with our team to see how we can help facilitate.

Yes. You can find our page in Easy English with event information here.

Fans in the Stands is our group ticket and education program that brings groups of 10 people from across Germany to experience the magic of the Special Olympics.

Groups can sign up from any organistion or community group. You'll receive free tickets to 1 day of competition and there's opportunities for educational activities, cheering for visiting delegations, getting active and most of all... fun! See our page here for more information.

You can find our sign up form on our website here. Or our Easy Language form here. Currently the form is not available in English. Please be in touch if you require translation assistance.

Yes. This programme is for organisations / groups.

That includes:

1. Schools and Universities
2. Sporting Associations
3. Community groups (eg. Church groups, craft groups, language groups)
4. Corporate groups
5. Embassies

If your group is not associated with an organisation or community group, please purchase tickets through our website. There is discounts available for groups of 6 or more.

If your organisation is struggling to find 10 people to be involved, please do email us at fansinthestand@berlin2023.org to discuss. It may be that we cannot accommodate your group. But there are group discounts available for purchased tickets for groups of 6 or more.

Benefits include:

1. Free tickets to 1 day of competition
2. Activity ideas in the lead up
3. Option to take part in our Non Competitive Sports Offer (come and get active!).
4. Educational resources to share with your team and help them become Inclusion Ambassadors

Yes! We would love for you to attend both the Special Olympics National and World Games. Currently, we are only taking bookings for the National Games, but you can register your interest for the World Games when you sign up to the National Games.

Registrations end on 5 June 2022. After this point, it will not be possible to sign up to Fans in the Stands.

Team Captains will be the 1 point of contact between ourselves and your team.

- We will work with you to put together your schedule.
- We will confirm your ticket requirements and send your group ticket.
- You will arrange to lead the group to the venue.
- We will send you your access link to our learning platform, where you will have access to interesting learning materials around the Special Olympics, our sports and our mission. We will expect you to share these with your team to help them become Inclusion Ambassadors and excited for your visit.
- You will lead your team during the visit, acting as our point of contact on the ground.

Yes. You will check in at the information booth on arrival, where our team can brief you, answer any questions and make sure you have an amazing time onsite. You'll also have a contact number for any questions that pop up during your trip.

You can email us at fansinthestands@berlin2023.org or call us on +49 (0)30-629336084 (Mon-Fri 10am - 5pm).

Yes. Every person that participates in Fans in the Stands will receive free public transport (zones A, B and C) on the day they attend. To use this, each individual's ticket must be personalised and they must carry it with them (digitally or physically) when on public transport.

No, we do not provide meal packages for participants.

However, there will be food and drink stands available at every venue where you can purchase meals. School groups are also permitted to bring their own lunches.

Each venue will have areas where you can sit and relax. We can work with your group to plan your trip so you know where you can sit as a group.

The non-competitive sports offer lasts about 1,5 hours, if you want to have participated once all stations. However, this is not a must. Everyone can and may do as many stations as he or she wants.



At the end (no matter how many stations you have done) everyone gets a small honor.