Mewa Arena

The Mewa Arena is a relatively new stadium in west-central Germany. The stadium opened in 2011, has a capacity of 34,034 and is very compact which helps with the atmosphere inside the stadium. The fans are close to the pitch, unlike other modern stadiums which makes the ground appear smaller than it is from the inside.

From the outside, the stadium is recognisable from miles away due to its location and design. The location is fascinating in that it is surrounded by wheat fields, making it the sole attraction of the area. In terms of design, the stadium looks like a giant red box which looks spectacular at night games when the lights are on.

The stadium is multi-purpose but is predominantly used for Mainz home matches. It has had several names over the past 13 years with the club frequently offering sponsorship rights to different companies. It first opened as the Coface Arena before being renamed the Opel Arena. Then, in 2021, it was named the Mewa Arena.

The Mewa Arena was built with atmosphere in mind and there are 13,700 standing tickets available for every Bundesliga match.

The Mewa Arena has become one of the most popular stadiums in Germany for visiting fans. Mainz is fairly central in Germany which makes it easy to get to for visiting fans while the stadium itself can generate quite the atmosphere.

Away fans at the Mewa Arena are situated behind one of the goals to the left. A typical away allocation is usually around 3,500 at the Mew Arena with away fans entering through blocks H, I and J. The majority of the away end is safe standing which helps to build the atmosphere around the stadium.

As a modern stadium, the concourse inside the away end is fairly big and fans can purchase food and drink from the kiosks throughout the match.

As mentioned, the Mewa Arena is surrounded by fields so it isn’t exactly the easiest stadium to get to. It is based on the western edge of Mainz, around 4km from the city centre and the main railway station. As a result, it’s close to an hour in walking time which makes public transport close to a necessity.

For fans coming away from Mainz, you need to first of all get to Mainz railway station (Hauptbahnhof). From there, you can catch several buses to the stadium – 54,55 or 58. All of these buses take around 5-10 minutes depending on traffic and all of them stop at Kisselberg/Coface Deutschland which is where you will need to get off. There are also shuttle buses on matchday which go from the railway station to the stadium and vice versa.

If driving, fans will need to take the A60 motorway and take exit 19 Mainz-Fintheim. From there, follow the L419 towards Mainz-Zentrum for around 1.5 miles at which point the stadium will appear. Parking isn’t straightforward but if you arrive early enough you should get a space on the road.

The best place to drink and eat before and after a Mainz match is definitely in the city centre itself rather than close to the stadium. Mainz is a wonderful city packed full of bars and restaurants, particularly around the railway station and down the central stretch of Große Langgasse. Three bars that you should visit before a Mainz match are:

• l Onkel Willy’s Pub
• Nolan’s
• Eisgrub-Bräu

Eisgrub-Bräu is a particularly popular spot as it serves house beer in five-metre towers and metre-long sausages making it the perfect place to set up shop if you are hungry and thirsty at the same time. In terms of other eateries in Mainz, check out these places:

• Bellpepper restaurant
• Wilma Wunder
• Mosch Mosch

There aren’t any hotels on the doorstep of the Mewa Arena which means you will have to look around central Mainz for the most options. There are two hotels – Hotel Roemerstein and Park Inn Mainz – which are slightly closer to the stadium (around a 20-minute walk) but you will find nicer and cheaper options in the centre itself.

Tickets for Mainz games aren’t the cheapest in Germany, especially for the most high-profile matches. Prices vary depending on where you want to sit in the stadium and who Mainz are playing. The price list is as follows

Category 1 matches: €17-€69

Category 2 matches: €15-€57

Category 3 matches: €13-€47

Tickets for Mainz matches can bought via the club’s website or via the ticket office at the stadium.

During the 2022/23 season, Mainz had an average attendance of 29,058 at the Mewa Arena. The record attendance at the stadium is a sellout of 33,305 which has been hit several times since the stadium opened in 2011.

Mainz have been running stadium tours since the Mewa Arena opened in 2011. The tours include a look inside both dressing rooms, the dugouts and the press rooms. Each tour lasts around 90 minutes and can be booked directly through the official Mainz website.

Local rivals

Mainz have two main rivals nearby:

• Eintracht Frankfurt
• 1. FC Kaiserslautern

Mainz 2023/24 fixtures and results