Red Bull Arena

The away section at the Red Bull Arena is located in the south-east corner of the stadium, offering an excellent view of the action.

Most of the atmosphere comes from sections B and D behind both goals, and they are strictly for home supporters only. Interestingly, though, there are ‘mixed areas’ around the stadium where all supporters are welcome.

There is no designated car park for away fans, and there are limited spaces for everyone, so it is advised to travel via public transport.

The modern Red Bull Arena was opened in 2004 and originally served as the home of FC Sachsen Leipzig, who played there until 2009.

What is the Red Bull Arena capacity?

With a capacity of 47,069 for league matches, it is the largest football stadium in East Germany.

The RB Arena – as it is known in UEFA competitions due to sponsorship regulations – is still connected to the old ground at the site, with bridges built over from the old Zentralstadion.

When did RB Leipzig move to the Red Bull Arena?

In July 2009, Red Bull acquired the license of the small SSV Markranstädt team, who were immediately renamed RasenBallsport Leipzig (RB Leipzig).

This new club immediately asked to move into the Zentralstadion and did so in March 2010, as the name was changed to the Red Bull Arena.

The roof of the stadium was also designed to make maximum noise for fans on matchday, with the floodlights integrated into the roof as well.

Outside the stadium, concerted efforts have been made to ensure greenery and plant life have not been neglected.

Red Bull Arena: 2006 World Cup and Euro 2024 host stadium

The Red Bull Arena is one of the more modern stadia in Germany, and has been used by the German national team on a few occasions. It was one of the venues chosen to host games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosting a total of five games.

It was also one of the stadia that was chosen to host games at the European Championships in the summer of 2024. The stadium hosted three group matches and one Round of 16 clash.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants to visit near the stadium and in the city of Leipzig. Three good bars for football fans in Leipzig:

• Arena Sportsbar – Am Sportforum 2, 04105 Leipzig, Germany
• Bobby’s Pub – Käthe-Kollwitz-Straße 3, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
• Champions Leipzig – Brühl 33, 04109 Leipzig, Germany

The Red Bull Arena is easily accessible from Leipzig’s city centre, with a wide range of transportation options available for football fans who are making the trip to the venue.

Located east of the city, it is only a 20-minute walk from there to the stadium. But if you don’t fancy the two-kilometre walk, then the tram can leave you only five minutes away from the stadium, leaving from the main railway station, Leipzig Hbf. Tram 3, 7 or 15 are the numbers you should look out for.

There are facilities for people with disabilities in all sections of the stadium, catering to both home and away fans.

Lifts are available for wheelchair users, and dedicated parking spaces are provided for those who require them.

To use these, it is advisable to contact the club beforehand so they can plan accordingly and accommodate you.

Match day tickets can be purchased online or at the stadium. Depending on who RB Leipzig are playing, ticket availability can vary. Games against Bayern Munich, for example, will always sell out.

When tickets are available, prices can vary, too. Tickets in the PK1 area are priced at €55, while they start to go down in each area. PK2 is €49 standard, while kids can get a ticket for just €15 in this section.

The cheapest ticket you can purchase is in PK9, where you can buy a ticket at just €16, while kids’ tickets in this section are just €8

You can find these prices and purchase tickets here on RB Leipzig’s club website.

Tickets for the stadium tour of the Red Bull Arena are available to purchase at the stadium and online.

There are usually three tours a day, which take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Tour tickets are a reasonable price at €10.

The tour covers the club’s museum, pitchside views and the dressing rooms. At the end of the tour, guests are invited to visit the club shop.

As the club are relatively new, this is a tour that is different from many of the others around Europe that focus on what’s come before. Instead, Leipzig like to look at what’s to come in the future.

Red Bull Arena, opened in 2004, was constructed on the site of the former Leipzig Central Stadium. The original site was built in 1950 using materials from World War II rubble. At the time, it was the biggest stadium in Germany.

The old stadium, Stadion der Hundertausend, also known as Zentralstadion Leipzig, stood on the current ground. It hosted both athletics and football events.

On 27 October 1957, a record 110,000 fans attended a match between East Germany and Czechoslovakia. However, the first-tier encounter between SC Rotation Leipzig and Lokomotive Leipzig, which took place on 9 September 1956, pulling a crowd of 100,000, remains the most-attended league match in Germany.

In 2000, the foundation for Red Bull Arena was laid to mark the 100th anniversary of DFB. Only the old wall of the previous venue was retained, with the new ground sitting on the same spot previously occupied by Zentralstadion Leipzig.

On 17 July 2004, the ground was reopened, still then known as Zentralstadion. It would later host the Confederations Cup in 2006, followed by the FIFA World Cup in 2006.

Later in 2010/11, it was renamed Red Bull Arena due to sponsorship reasons and became the home ground of RB Leipzig. The first game in this arrangement was a match against FC Schalke 04 on 24 July 2014. The game, which Leipzig won 2-1, was played in front of a crowd of 21,566 fans.

On 20 April 2022, a record attendance of 47,067 was registered on the new ground, a match that Leipzig won to reach the DFB-Pokal final.

Red Bull Arena renovation

The year 2016 saw major renovation works being undertaken at Red Bull Arena. This is after the club agreed to buy the stadium in December 2016.

In April 2018, the city council approved planning permission, paving the way for the rebuilding process to begin. The stadium currently has a capacity of 47,069, including standing zones.

However, during European matches, the capacity is usually reduced to 45,228.

Record Attendance:

47,069 RB Leipzig 2–1 1. FC Union Berlin (20th April 2022, DFB-Pokal semi-final) | 47,069 RB Leipzig 3–5 FC Bayern Munich (30th July 2022, Super Cup)

Average Attendance:

2023-2024: 45,057 (Bundesliga)
2022-2023: 45,643 (Bundesliga)
2021-2022: 22,124 (Bundesliga)

One could say that every opponent of RB Leipzig is a rival due to the level of hatred towards the manner in which the club was formed.

In recent years, they have developed a rivalry with both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, simply because of their success on the field.

In Leipzig’s first season in the Bundesliga, Dortmund fans boycotted going to the Red Bull Arena in protest to RB Leipzig’s ownership model. This has since added spice to this fixture.

Borussia Dortmund’s feelings towards Leipzig have made Jurgen Klopp’s decision to join Red Bull as their Head of Soccer an unpopular one in Germany. It will be interesting to see how the rivalry continues to pan out from here onwards with the former Dortmund coach at the helm.