Arena AufSchalke facts for kids

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Veltins-Arena
Construction


Former names	Arena AufSchalke (2001–2005)
Location	Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Elevation	54 m
Public transit	302 Veltins Arena
Owner	FC Schalke 04
Operator	FC Schalke 04
Executive suites	90
Capacity	62,271 (League Matches), 54,740 (International Matches)
Record attendance	Ice hockey: 77,803 (7 May 2010, 2010 IIHF World Championship Opening Game) Football: 62,271 (Regular sellout)
Field size	105 × 68 m
Built	1998–2001
Opened	13 August 2001
Construction cost	€191 million
Architect	Hentrich, Petschnigg und Partner
Tenants
FC Schalke 04 (2001–present) Germany national football team (selected matches) FC Shakhtar Donetsk (2024–present, UEFA Champions League matches) Major sporting events hosted 2004 UEFA Champions League final 2006 FIFA World Cup 2010 IIHF World Championship Euro 2024

The Veltins-Arena is a super cool football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. It's also known as Arena AufSchalke. This stadium is special because it has a roof that can open and close, and its grass field can slide in and out! It opened on August 13, 2001, and is the home ground for the FC Schalke 04 football team.

The stadium can hold over 62,000 fans for league matches and about 54,000 for international games. It has hosted many big events, including matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024. The name "Veltins-Arena" comes from a sponsorship deal with a German brewery that started in 2005.

Building the Veltins-Arena
Stadium Design and Location
Cool Features: Roof and Pitch
Food and Drinks for Fans
Other Exciting Events
Stadiums Inspired by Veltins-Arena
Average Attendances
Images for kids
See also

Building the Veltins-Arena

In the late 1990s, people wanted a new, modern stadium for Schalke 04. Their old stadium, the Parkstadion, was getting old. After Schalke 04 won the 1996–97 UEFA Cup in 1997, plans for a new stadium moved forward. Construction started in 1998, just in time for the club's 100th birthday in 2004.

Stadium Design and Location

The Veltins-Arena was built very close to the old Parkstadion. This area is called "Berger Feld." There was a challenge because two old mine shafts were deep under the ground. To make sure the stadium would be safe and strong, its main direction was changed. Instead of facing north-south, it faces northeast-southwest, away from the mines.

The stadium has two levels of seats that go all around the field. This design allows for many fans to watch the games. For league matches, one section of the stadium has standing room for over 16,000 passionate Schalke 04 fans. For international matches, these standing areas are changed into seats. There are also 72 special VIP lounges that separate the two seating levels.

Cool Features: Roof and Pitch

The Veltins-Arena has a fantastic retractable roof made of a special fabric. This roof can open or close in two halves, depending on the weather or the event. This means fans can enjoy games and concerts whether it's sunny or raining! To keep outside noise down during loud concerts, a second layer of roof fabric was added.

One of the most amazing features is the slide-out pitch. The entire grass field can move out of the stadium in just four hours! This is super helpful because:

The grass can grow better outside in natural sunlight and fresh air.
The football field stays safe and undamaged during concerts or other events held inside.
The stadium floor can be quickly changed for different types of events.
The space where the field usually sits can be used for parking buses during matches.

High above the center of the field, there are four large video screens. Each screen is about 35 square meters, showing replays and scores to everyone in the stadium. This type of central scoreboard was a first for football stadiums!

Food and Drinks for Fans

Imagine feeding over 60,000 people! The Veltins-Arena has lots of places to get food and drinks. There are 15 small restaurants, 50 grilling stations, and 35 cafés. They can serve thousands of sausages, pretzels, and pizzas on a single match day. All these places are connected by a 5-kilometer long beer-line, which can deliver about 52,000 liters of beer!

Other Exciting Events

The Veltins-Arena is not just for football. It has hosted many other big events:

The 2004 UEFA Champions League final was played here.
In 2024, the Ukrainian football team FC Shakhtar Donetsk used the stadium as their temporary home for UEFA Champions League matches.
It has also hosted American football games, including World Bowl XII.
The stadium has seen exciting biathlon races, stock car races, and even operas.
In 2009, a world heavyweight championship boxing match took place here, with 60,000 people watching.
Famous music artists like The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Metallica, AC/DC, Taylor Swift, and Rammstein have performed concerts at the arena.

Rammstein performs on the second stage at Veltins Arena, July 30, 2024

2006 FIFA World Cup Matches

The Veltins-Arena was one of the stadiums for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. During the World Cup, it was called FIFA World Cup Stadium Gelsenkirchen because of sponsorship rules. Many exciting games were played here, including a quarter-final match where Wayne Rooney from England was sent off.

Here are some of the games played at the stadium during the 2006 World Cup:

Date	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
9 June 2006	Poland	0–2	Ecuador	Group A	52,000
12 June 2006	United States	0–3	Czech Republic	Group E	52,000
16 June 2006	Argentina	6–0	Serbia and Montenegro	Group C	52,000
21 June 2006	Portugal	2–1	Mexico	Group D	52,000
1 July 2006	England	0–0 (a.e.t.) (1–3 pen)	Portugal	Quarter-finals	52,000

Speedway Racing Events

The Veltins-Arena has also hosted exciting motorcycle speedway races.

2007 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany

On October 13, 2007, the stadium hosted the final race of the 2007 Speedway Grand Prix season. This event was called the 2007 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany. About 25,000 fans watched Swedish rider Andreas Jonsson win the race. Nicki Pedersen became the World Champion that day. The temporary speedway track built inside the arena was 300 meters long.

Andreas Jonsson – 2007 German SGP Winner

2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany

The stadium was supposed to host the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany on October 11, 2008. However, the race was cancelled because the temporary track was not safe due to bad weather, even though the roof was closed. The event was later held in Poland.

2010 Ice Hockey World Championship

On May 7, 2010, the Veltins-Arena hosted the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship. A record-breaking crowd of 77,803 people watched the host team Germany beat the United States 2–1 in overtime. This set a new world record for attendance at an ice hockey game!

2018 German Darts Masters

In 2018, the stadium hosted the 2018 German Darts Masters darts event. It set another record with 20,210 people attending, making it the biggest darts event ever! Mensur Suljović won the competition.

UEFA Euro 2024 Matches

The stadium was one of the venues for UEFA Euro 2024. Like the World Cup, it used its non-sponsored name during the tournament.

Here are the matches played at the stadium during Euro 2024:

Date	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Spectators
16 June 2024	Serbia	0–1	England	Group C	48,953
20 June 2024	Spain	1–0	Italy	Group B	49,528
26 June 2024	Georgia	2–0	Portugal	Group F	49,616
30 June 2024	England	2–1 (aet)	Slovakia	Round of 16	47,244

Stadiums Inspired by Veltins-Arena

The Veltins-Arena's cool features, like its retractable roof and slide-out pitch, have inspired other stadiums around the world. For example, the State Farm Stadium in the U.S. has similar designs. The Friends Arena in Sweden and the Lucas Oil Stadium in the U.S. also have features inspired by this innovative German stadium.