Football fans will flock to Bundesliga stadiums once again this 2025/26 season as the German top flight continues to assert itself as one of the best supported leagues in world football.
Some 96 percent of available seats were taken at Bundesliga games in 2024/25 for an average attendance of 38,652 – the lowest figure since the pandemic, due in part to clubs with smaller a stadium like St. Pauli and Holstein Kiel coming up. But with the return of Cologne and Hamburg, that number is expected to jump back well over 40,000 and above England’s Premier League again.
So, where will all these fans be making their weekly pilgrimages in 2025/26 and what makes Bundesliga stadia so special? bundesliga.com has the inside track…
Bayern Munich: Allianz Arena
Capacity: 75,024
Opened: 30 May 2005
The stunning Allianz Arena has been the home of the record German champions since Bayern moved from the Olympic Stadium to its current home in time for the start of the 2005/06 Bundesliga season. Bayern shared the stadium with city rivals 1860 Munich until 2017, but have since had the architectural masterpiece all to themselves, allowing them to remove the neutral grey seats for the club’s red and white colours and make the place their own. A fan magnet like no other, holding 75,000 spectators across three tiers, every Bundesliga game has been sold out since January 2007.
Watch: The Bayern stadium experience
Arguably now Munich’s most famous landmark, the Allianz has also hosted several major international matches in recent years. As well as six games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, it was one of the venues for the continent-wide UEFA Euro 2020 (four games), then the opening match and five more at Euro 2024. The summer of 2025 was particularly busy, as the ground hosted the finals of the UEFA Nations League and the UEFA Champions League, where Paris Saint-Germain beat Inter Milan. It’s the second time that Germany’s second-largest stadium has welcome European club football’s biggest fixture, most famously doing so in 2012 when Bayern lost on home soil against Chelsea in a penalty shootout.
Borussia Dortmund: Signal Iduna Park
Capacity: 81,365
Opened: 2 April 1974
Germany’s largest stadium can be found in Dortmund, where the Signal Iduna Park acts as the Mecca of German football and attracts fans from all over the world every week. Known by many by its original name of the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund’s home can house 81,365 fans.
At its heart is the iconic Yellow Wall, which is the largest terrace in European football and holds over 24,000 people on its own. Its unique atmosphere – full of high-art tifos and the pre-match waltz of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – makes matches at the Signal Iduna Park more like a religious experience than your usual trip to the football. The ground was opened in 1974 as a result of Dortmund needing a stadium fit to host that year’s World Cup after the city replaced Cologne as one of the venues. It wasn’t until Dortmund’s top-flight promotion in 1976 that Bundesliga football was played at the stadium, while six matches of both the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2024 were held at the Signal Iduna Park.
Bayer Leverkusen: BayArena
Capacity: 30,210
Opened: 2 August 1958
The BayArena has been the club’s home since 1958 and was known as the Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion until 1998. At the same time, a hotel was built on site, which now forms the north stand and allows guests pitch-side seating. The BayArena hosted its first Germany international on 18 December 1991 as the four-time world champions routed Luxembourg 4-0, and although it did not host a FIFA World Cup match in 2006, it was initially used by Germany as their base and hosted the national team’s warm-up match against Japan. Between 2007 and 2009, the ground was expanded to accommodate 30,000 spectators, after which it welcomed four FIFA Women’s World Cup matches in 2011. The BayArena was the venue for the first live coverage of a Bundesliga match in 3D when Leverkusen played Hamburg on 14 March 2010. The pitch itself has won ‘Pitch of the Year’ in three of the last four seasons, including for the most recent campaign.
VfB Stuttgart: MHPArena
Capacity: 60,058
Opened: 23 July 1933
Stuttgart’s abode has undergone various renovations and names since first opening in 1933, most recently having the main stand rebuilt, including new changing rooms and media facilities, prior to hosting five matches at Euro 2024, including Germany’s heartbreaking quarter-final defeat to Spain. There’s enough space for over 60,000 fans, including some 11,000 standing spots for that real German football experience. It was a versatile, multi-function venue until becoming a football-only stadium in 2008 – a fitting development for a historic ground renowned as hosting Germany’s first international after World War II and their first game following reunification in 1990. Locals may still refer to it as the Neckarstadion, due to its location in the Neckarpark, just next to the Mercedes factory. Names down the years include the Adolf-Hitler-Kampfbahn, Century Stadium, Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion and Mercedes-Benz Arena.
Eintracht Frankfurt: Deutsche Bank Park
Capacity: 58,000
Opened: 21 May 1925
Deutsche Bank Park – as it’s been known since 2020 – was built on the site of Frankfurt’s previous stadium, the Waldstadion, which had stood since 1925. Construction took place between 2002 and 2005, and the result is a modern, versatile venue that can host numerous sports and events but captures football atmosphere like few stadiums can. It is another of Germany’s football grounds that was renovated in time for hosting the 2005 Confederations Cup and 2006 World Cup, while its initial guise also hosted the 1974 edition of the World Cup and Euro 1988. The 2011 Women’s World Cup final was played at Deutsche Bank Park, which truly comes alive under the lights of European football when Die Adler are in continental competitions. As was the case during the club’s 2021/22 Europa League run, with the home fans and their stadium a major contributing factor to their success that season. The stadium also hosted five games at the most recent Euros in 2024.
Hamburg: Volksparkstadion
Capacity: 57,000
Opened: 12 July 1953
After seven years away, Hamburg are back in the Bundesliga, and so is their fantastic stadium. HSV moved into the Volksparkstadion from the Rothenbaum sports ground in 1963 in preparation for the opening season of the Bundesliga and have remained there ever since. In 2000, the stadium was demolished and rebuilt for the modern era to allow Hamburg to host matches at major tournaments. The first game to take place at the new stadium was between Germany and Greece, with the hosts coming out as 2-0 winners. The stadium hosted five games at both the 2006 World Cup and the 2024 Euros. It also regularly hosts concerts and other events. A sold-out stadium saw Wladimir Klitschko box against David Haye in 2011.
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Borussia-Park
Capacity: 54,042
Opened: 30 July 2004
The Borussia-Park replaced the storied, much-loved but very much outdated Bökelbergstadion in 2004, when Borussia competitively inaugurated their new home with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Dortmund. Built on the site of former British army barracks, the arena currently holds just over 54,000 spectators. It is a thoroughly modern stadium, with top-class views from all angles and an impressive green-white-black lighting system. The centrepiece, however, is the noise: Gladbach fans are as passionate as any in the land, with the famed Nordkurve (north stand) whipping up quite a din every other week, especially when their team score and Scooter’s “Maria (I Like It Loud)” blares out of the speakers.
Cologne: RheinEnergieStadion
Capacity: 50,000
Opened: 16 September 1923
Currently known as the RheinEnergieStadion, the 50,000-capacity stadium in the Müngersdorf area to the west of Cologne (hence the commonly used name Müngersdorfer Stadion) was originally opened in 1923, but most recently underwent renovations in preparation for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It hosted five games in that tournament, as well as three in the Confederations Cup the previous year. The Billy Goats also lent their home to UEFA for the 2020 Europa League final that was played behind closed doors due to the global pandemic. Five Euro 2024 fixtures took place at the RheinEnergieStadion, including four group games and one last-16 meeting. Recognisable by its four illuminated towers in the corners of the stadium, the ground is known for its vibrant atmosphere, with the stands and fans very close to the pitch. Like the Volksparkstadion, its return to the Bundesliga scene is both welcome by fans and will vastly boost the league’s attendance figures, having seen average crowds in Bundesliga 2 of over 49,900.
RB Leipzig: Red Bull Arena
Capacity: 47,800
Opened: 17 November 2004
Leipzig’s Red Bull Arena has stood in its current form since 2004, when it was reconstructed within the city’s old Zentralstadion in a manner similar to Chicago’s Soldier Field. Having provided the backdrop to three FIFA Confederations Cup matches in 2005, the stadium was the only ground in the former East Germany to host 2006 World Cup games, with five played there, including an infamous group game between France and South Korea, where Zinédine Zidane picked up a suspension and subsequently kicked a metal door in the dressing room. The stud-indented plate is still on display for visitors to see. It also hosted four Euro 2024 matches, including a quarter-final.
RB took over the stadium in 2010, and the name was changed to the Red Bull Arena, which currently holds 47,800 spectators after several renovation projects in the last decade. Those works have included stripping out the old “swimming pool” blue seats to turn them red to reflect the club’s colours, while Leipzig are also planning further expansions as well as making surrounding access to the stadium even easier.
Werder Bremen: Weserstadion
Capacity: 42,100
Opened: 11 May 1947
Construction on the Weserstadion was originally completed in 1947, but it has since undergone a number of renovations. In 2002, the capacity was increased to house 43,500 spectators. While its near complete rebuild between 2008 to 2012 might have seen the capacity come down to 42,100, it modernised the stadium and repositioned it as purely a football venue. The old athletics track was ripped out, both stands at the end of the ground were rebuilt, and the roof was completely reconstructed, with solar panels integrated to reduce the club’s carbon footprint. It is situated in one of the most picturesque locations of all Bundesliga stadiums, sitting right on the bank of the city’s Weser river. As such, fans can even arrive by boat, a service unique to Bremen in all of Germany.
Freiburg: Europa-Park Stadion
Capacity: 34,700
Opened: 7 October 2021
Freiburg waved goodbye to the Dreisamstadion – or Schwarzwald-Stadion in its final guise – after three home matches of the 2021/22 campaign, with the coronavirus pandemic slightly delaying the opening of their Europa-Park Stadion. Following a test run against St. Pauli on 7 October 2021, they were finally able to cut the ribbon on their new home with its competitive debut nine days later as Wooyeong Jeong salvaged a 1-1 draw with Leipzig. The ground has given Freiburg an increase of more than 10,000 people when teams come to visit the Wolfswinkel district’s ambitious stadium, which is one of the most environmentally friendly in the world. As well as producing its own energy, it offers electric car charging stations, plug-in spots for e-bikes, e-scooters and smartphones, and some 3,700 parking places for push bikes. As a result, the Europa-Park Stadion is expected to eventually become climate-neutral.
Mainz: Mewa Arena
Capacity: 33,305
Opened: 3 July 2011
Mainz’s home since 2011 – that formerly went by the Coface Arena and the Opel Arena – is currently known as the Mewa Arena. It was built to replace the ageing Stadion am Bruchweg and, after breaking ground on 5 May 2009, it officially opened on 3 July 2011. To introduce itself to the world, the Mewa Arena hosted the 2011 LIGA total! Cup which was won by then-reigning champions Dortmund and also featured Bayern and Hamburg. It was a forward-thinking build, and the 05ers’ new ground was nominated for the Stadium Business Award for innovative and new ideas in stadium construction. The ground hosted its first Germany match in June 2014 as a team coached by Joachim Löw faced Armenia in their final warm-up game before Germany’s victorious 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign. Germany have returned once since, in an 8-0 win over Estonia, which maintains Mainz’s 100 percent record as a national team venue. How will the 05ers now fare there on their return to European competition?
Augsburg: WWK Arena
Capacity: 30,660
Opened: 26 July 2009
The WWK Arena was completed in July 2009 after a 20-month construction project, and it soon became the world’s first carbon-neutral arena thanks to a complex system that harnesses the earth’s natural geothermal energy to provide the stadium with its power. In total, it saves approximately 750 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. The technical aspects of Augsburg’s home aside, the steep stands give the venue a compact feel and help create a spine-tingling atmosphere on matchdays, with the noise echoing around the ground. German broadsheet newspaper the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung even once labelled the stadium “The Anfield of the B17 highway” due to its unique atmosphere. Both the 2010 U20 Women’s World Cup and the subsequent 2011 Women’s World Cup had matches at the WWK Arena.
Hoffenheim: PreZero Arena
Capacity: 30,150
Opened: 24 January 2009
TSG played their football at the Dietmar-Hopp-Stadion until moving to the Rhein-Neckar-Arena – which operates now as the PreZero Arena – in 2009, as the club’s home had to match its soaring ambitions. Another of German football’s new builds, there are a number of innovations at the stadium in Sinsheim, whose roof is covered in solar panels that produce enough energy to power 270 family households each year. The club and its stadium sponsor, PreZero, doubled down on its environmental commitment in 2022 by announcing plans to become Europe’s first “zero waste stadium”, a goal achieved in 2023. Reusable cups and turning grass cuttings into autograph cards are just some of the initiatives that run at the stadium. In total, the club recycles more than 91% of the materials it uses.
St. Pauli: Millerntor-Stadion
Capacity: 29,546
Opened: 1963
St. Pauli’s Millerntor has gone through a series of renovations since the early 2000’s but it has maintained its fantastic atmosphere. AC/DC‘s ‘Hells Bells’, which is played before every game, only adds to the atmosphere. The stadium has a capacity for 29,546 people, of which a massive 16,940 are standing places. In 2010, the Millerntor received the PETA Progress Award as the “most animal-friendly football stadium” as a result of the numerous vegetarian and vegan dishes on offer at the stadium. The stadium also operates a miniature railway that delivers food and drinks to fans.
Wolfsburg: Volkswagen Arena
Capacity: 28,917
Opened: 13 December 2002
Having well and truly established themselves in the Bundesliga at the end of the 1990s, Wolfsburg commissioned construction of the Volkswagen Arena in 2001. It was officially opened a year later with a capacity of 30,000 (22,000 seating, 8,000 standing). No detail was overlooked in its design, with the home changing room including massage rooms, saunas, showers and a revitalisation pool. For greater sustainability, the stadium has 216 energy-efficient LED floodlights and a hybrid grass pitch, while there are places for 650 bicycles outside for environmentally friendly fans. It also became the Bundesliga’s first stadium to debut 5G technology as the DFL launched a number of digital firsts at the Wolves’ den on Matchday 5 of the 2019/2020 season.
Union Berlin: Stadion An der Alten Försterei
Capacity: 22,012
Opened: 7 August 1920
The Stadion An der Alten Försterei (stadium at the old forester’s house) has been the home of Union and its predecessor clubs since 1920. It is located in the southeast of Berlin in the picturesque and green district of Köpenick and currently holds 22,012 spectators. It also plays host to an annual Christmas carol event on 23 December for fans and friends of the club, which sees almost 30,000 in attendance. The homely feel at the Försterei was taken to another level during the 2014 World Cup as the club set up 750 sofas on the pitch in front of a big screen so that fans could watch matches from their very own living room in the house of Union.
The stadium is now seen as an important part of the club’s – and wider community’s – very identity. Some 2,000 fans famously volunteered to help in the ground’s reconstruction in 2008/09. It remains a mostly standing-only stadium, with only 3,600 seats among the 22,000. The club has now started plans that will see the ground expanded to over 40,000 in the coming years.
Heidenheim: Voith-Arena
Capacity: 15,000
Opened: 1972
Heidenheim’s Voith-Arena is the smallest stadium in the Bundesliga with capacity for just 15,000 viewers, of which 9,000 places are standing only. It is also the highest stadium in German professional football with an altitude of 555 metres (1820 feet). The stadium has received a series of upgrades over the years to match Heidenheim’s impressive progression through the football pyramid and has now become a stadium worthy of the Bundesliga, with an atmosphere to match. The nearest stands are just six metres away from the pitch, and the famous Liko’s Kiosk, which previously served the stadium that has stood on the site since 1972, provides a unique location for fans to watch the game from as the only food stand in the Bundesliga with a pitch view. The club acquired the stadium from the city of Heidenheim for €2 million in 2019.
