Volksparkstadion

The modern Volksparkstadion was opened in 2000 after a building permit was granted in 1998 to renovate the ground. The new stadium was built on the same site, but with the pitch turned 90 degrees.

There have been various sponsor names since 2000 to rename the ground, including the AOL Arena, HSH Nordbank and the Imtech Arena.

With a capacity of 57,000 for Hamburg home games, the Volksparkstadion is the seventh biggest stadium in Germany.

The Hamburg Arena – as it is also known – also hosts international matches where the capacity is reduced to 51,500.

Volksparkstadion has held games in four major tournaments, including the 1974 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1998, 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024.

The most famous games held at Volksparkstadion include the UEFA Euro 1998 semi-final where West Germany lost to the Netherlands 2-1 and Italy’s 3-0 victory over Ukraine in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In the upcoming tournament, UEFA Euro 2024, Volksparkstadion will host five matches, including four group games and a Quarter-final.

Euro 2024 matches at Volksparkstadion

• 17/06: Austria vs France
• 21/06: Slovakia vs Ukraine
• 24/06: Albania vs Spain
• 01/07: Round of 16 – 2D vs 2E
• 06/07: Quarter-final

Shakhtar Donetsk used the Volksparkstadion to host UEFA Champions League group-stage matches during the 2023/24 season due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Shakhtar commercial director, Dmytro Kyrylenko, said: “After weighing up several options, we quickly opted for Hamburg. We firmly believe that the games at the Volksparkstadion will be held at the highest level, and both local football fans and the thousands of Ukrainians who now live in Germany and other European countries will come together in the stands.”

You can read more about it here.

There are public and private stadium tours available at Volksparkstadion and they are available to purchase at the stadium and online.

There are two tours daily on Monday-Sunday from November to February at 12:00 and 2:00. Also, there are three tours on Monday-Sunday from March to October at 12:00pm, 2:00pm and 4:00pm.

The full price for stadium tours including the museum is €14 for adults, with family tickets costing €35.

Stadium tours include a look at the press conference area, visitors entrance, changing rooms and the players’ tunnel to the pitch. Tours often last approximately 75 to 90 minutes.

Matchday tickets can be purchased online on the Hamburger SV website. Ticket prices for matches vary from €18 to €75.90 depending on the stand you are sitting and the quality of the opposition team.

There are six price categories across the ground, which go down in price in each area. Ticket sales start with a member pre-sale, followed by a free pre-sale for non-members. You are only allowed to purchase up to six tickets per person when booking online.

You can find this information and purchase tickets here at Hamburger SV’s club website.

There are limited parking spaces at Volksparkstadion on matchday, meaning that Hamburger SV recommend that fans take public transport. Tickets for Hamburger SV home games provide fans with free tickets on the entire Hamburg transport network to and from the ground.

There are three S-Bahn stops near the stadium, including Stellingen, Eidelstadt and Othmarschen. The easiest transport route is the S-Bahn 21 towards Elbgaustraße, which stops at Stellingen. On matchday there are shuttle buses from all three stops to the stadium, which begin two and a half hours before the game. It is also worth noting that the stadium is a 15-minute walk from Stellingen and Eidelstadt.

Another option is to take the number 22 bus route, which runs from U-Bahn station Kellinghusenstraße to S-Bahn station Blankenese. Schnackenburgallee is the closest bus stop on the 22 route to the stadium, which is a 10-minute walk to the ground.

Hamburger SV have an in-depth overview of how fans can travel to the stadium on matchday on their website. You can find this information here.

Away fans are located in the corner of the ground between the southern goal-end and the West Tribune. This includes basic seating and standing options.

The away section of Volksparkstadion offers unrestricted views, and the fans are located opposite the most vocal Hamburg fans who are situated in the North Stand.

Given the limited parking available on matchday at the stadium, away supporters are also advised to travel via public transport.

Pubs near the Volksparkstadion:

• Pub in the City62 – Luruper Hauptstraße 181, 22547 Hamburg, Germany
• Klempau’s PAULANER Biergarten an der Milchhalle – August-Kirch-Straße 55, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
• Thomas Read Irish Pub – Nobistor 10, 22767 Hamburg, Germany

There are plenty of places to stay and at reasonable prices in Hamburg. Hotels that are well-priced and are close to the stadium include:

• Hotel Mona
• Hotel SleepIn Volkspark
• Bedpark Stellingen

Werder Bremen are a big rival to Hamburger SV with the match coined the Nordderby (North Derby). Famously in the 2008/2009 season, Werder Bremen beat Hamburger SV in both the UEFA-Cup semi-final and the DFB-Pokal semi-final.

Hamburger SV also have a rivalry with neighbours St Pauli and there has been historic disputes between both fan groups. The Hamburg Derby’s first game took place on 7 December 1919 and the clubs have more frequently played each other since Hamburg’s relegation from the Bundesliga in 2018.

Record attendance

57,000, Hamburger SV 1-0 Bayern Munich (30 January 2009, German Bundesliga)

Average attendances

2023-2024: 55,895 (2.Bundesliga)

2022-2023: 53,470 (2.Bundesliga)

2021-2022: N/A (Covid)

2020-2021: N/A (Covid)

2019-2020: 33,400 (2.Bundesliga)

In the stadium’s Lower Tribune, there are 95 wheelchair-accessible spots that are not obstructed. In addition, Block C has 30 spots reserved for fans who are blind or poorly sighted. Lastly, block 12B has 20 spots reserved for those who are hard of hearing or deaf.

Read more about disability access and facilities here.

Hamburger SV’s fixture list