Veltins Arena

Stadium tours at the Veltins Arena follow the typical pattern of most stadium tours. Fans are given a look at key aspects of the stadium, including the home dressing room, the tunnel, media facilities and hospitality areas all while being taught about the history of the club by a guide.

Fans can elect to either have a public tour where they go around with other members of the public or private tours where they can book a tour guide for their party.

Veltins Arena Stadium Tours usually last around 75 minutes and must be pre-booked. More information on what the tour entails and booking enquiries can be found on the official Schalke website.

Since the Veltins Arena is a modern ground, there is a lot of thought process that has gone into making sure that there are enough facilities for handicapped and disabled individuals. In fact, this was given a lot of thought process even before construction started in 2001. Now, there are separate parking spots for disabled individuals and it is conveniently positioned so that they can easily get into the stadium without any barriers. It is possible to access the arena without any stairs or through the elevator.

There are also 98 seats available in the ground for disabled individuals. An accompanying person can join the disabled individuals and seats are allocated for them as well. These seats do not have any viewing interruptions due to their ‘barrier-free’ nature. The Block X is set aside for individuals with walking disabilities to witness the games. Even though there are officially only 40 passes available, the club will increase the capacity if required. A prior intimation is therefore essential so as to avoid any issues just prior to a game.

Schalke ticket prices for the 2023/24 season:

• Adults – €15,50 – 52
• Youth – €12 – 42
• Children – €9 – 31

One of the top ways of getting to the Veltins Arena is by driving a car, as the city enjoys copious amounts of excellent road network. There are two highway exits located near the stadium and they can help ease the connectivity issues a lot. The location of the stadium in the Gelsenkirchen North – between the A2 and A42– makes it convenient to reach by road.

For those who are taking the A42, the key exit will be 17 at Gelsenkirchen-Schalke. Now, you have to turn north and proceed on the road for around 2 km. After switching right at the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße, you will soon come across the stadium on the right side of the road. For those using the A2, the Gelsenkirchen-Buer exit is the one to watch. After taking a left at the upcoming roundabout, you will take another left to the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße. Now, the stadium will be on the left.

It is very easy to go from the stadium to the city centre, which is only 6 km away. If you are still perplexed about the idea of driving to the Veltins Arena, switch on the satnav and enter this address:

Ernst-Kuzorra-Weg 1, 45891 Gelsenkirchen

In terms of parking, you should not have any issues since the ground has space for around 14,000 cars. Even if this is not sufficient, there is plenty of on-street parking that can save the day. This makes the Veltins Arena a joy to reach by car and not many stadiums can boast of this capability.

By train or metro

If you are thinking of taking the train, Gelsenkirchen is well connected to different cities across Europe. The time taken to travel depends on the stops and changes that you may have to make. If you are heading from London, there will be a stop in Brussels, Cologne, and Oberhausen. As a result, the overall journey could take around six hours. After getting to Gelsenkirchen, however, it can be extremely easy to reach the stadium. There is an option of taking the Light Rail to the light rail station that is located within a few minutes away from the ground.

If the idea of driving to the ground does not sound appealing, then you can take any one of the numerous taxis that are available in the city centre. The ride from the city centre to the stadium will take around 10 minutes with costs of around €15. Unfortunately, Gelsenkirchen does not enjoy great connectivity by air, as the closest airport is in Düsseldorf – around 45 minutes from the city centre.

Supporters who make the travel to the Veltins Arena will be kept in the V and W sections, which is located in the south-east corner. If the size of the travelling contingent is more, a greater size could be allocated for the supporters. The experience of visiting such a technologically advanced stadium will provide a remarkable experience.

It does not take long to understand that you are firmly in the backyard of a formidable club. The blue colour is predominant in most areas of the stadium, which has uninterrupted views owing to the modern architecture. As a result, you are likely to get a remarkable viewing experience irrespective of the tier in which you are positioned. There is also a lot of Champions League history associated with this stadium, as it hosted the 2004 final between Monaco and FC Porto.

Even after getting into the stadium, you will be able to purchase food. It is a relatively simple process, as there are kiosks inside the stadium. After picking up a dedicated card, you can deposit money and pick up food.

There are plenty of pubs in Gelsenkirchen to sample before heading to the stadium. The most recommended is Destille Buer (Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 317, 45897 Gelsenkirchen, Germany). It is around a 20-minute walk to the stadium. Other options include:

• La Via Bistro Pub – Weberstraße, 45879 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• Oisin Kelly Gallery – Brinkgartenstraße 25, 45894 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
• Posthörnchen – Sellhorststraße 3, 45879 Gelsenkirchen, Germany

The Veltins Arena is a technologically advanced stadium with a capacity of more than 62,000 spectators. Despite opening in the early 2000’s, Veltins Arena has the potential to bring about a wow factor on your first visit. The stadium comes with an impressive range of facilities which help it become a concert arena with little to no effort. A retractable roof and LCD displays that drop down are some of the highlights of this ground.

The stadium can be broken down into four key sections:

Veltins-Nordkurve (North) – This is one of the intense areas of the stadium since it contains the most passionate Schalke supporters. This stand happens to be located close to the Parkstadion, which is the former home of Schalke.

Gazprom Tribune (East) – This section of the stadium runs along the pitch side and it is the place where away fans are stationed – close to the start of the Sudkurve section.

Sudkurve (South) – This section also holds a passionate set of supporters, but they are not as passionate as the supporters on the Nordkurve.

Ergro Tribune (West) – This stand sits opposite to the Gazprom Tribune and it can be regarded as the main section of the stadium since it happens to possess all the key details like dressing rooms, dugouts, technical area, players’ tunnel, press rooms, and more.

Record Attendance

77,803 – Germany v United States Ice Hockey (2010)

Average Attendance

2023-2024: 61,520 (2.Bundesliga)

2022-2023: 61,133 (Bundesliga)

2021-2022: N/A (Covid)

2020-2021: N/A (Covid)

2019-2020: 46,704 (Bundesliga)

2018-2019: 61,069 (Bundesliga)

2017-2018: 61,331 (Bundesliga)

Schalke fixtures

Borussia Dortmund