The revamped Volksparkstadion in Hamburg is preparing to welcome thousands of international football fans for the upcoming 2024 European Championship. It is a venue which has witnessed the dramatic highs and lows of Hamburger SV – a famous German club with a rich history which was relegated from the Bundesliga in 2018.

The primary focus in Hamburg this summer will be on Euro 2024, with five important games set to be staged at the 49,000-capacity stadium.

Volksparkstadion Hamburg – Euro 2024 fixtures:

•  June 16 - Group D - Poland vs Netherlands
•  June 19 - Group B - Croatia vs Albania
•  June 22 - Group F - Georgia vs Czechia
•  June 26 - Group F - Czechia vs Turkey
•  July 5 - Quarter-final fixture - TBD

Renovation has upgraded an iconic venue

The Volksparkstadion will host four games during the opening stage, kicking off with an eye-catching Group D fixture between Poland and the Netherlands on June 16. The Dutch are rated as 16/1 shots in the latest outright Euro 2024 betting and are guaranteed to bring a massive following to Hamburg for their opening fixture.

The fans will be hosted in a stadium which has undergone a significant multi-million-Euros redevelopment covering numerous elements around the venue. These include replacing the roof membrane, the installation of a new public address system and improved floodlighting. The VIP area and toilets have also been upgraded. Work on the roof was unquestionably the trickiest part of the redevelopment, with all of the membranes replaced during this complex process. The joints between the individual fields were closed and the drainage parts connected, creating a state-of-the art roof fit to handle the most severe weather conditions.

New 2000 lux LED floodlights meet UEFA’s stringent requirements for hosting Euro 2024, while new loudspeaker columns will deliver crystal clear sounds inside the stadium. The stadium now has more than 660 toilets for fans, 130 disabled seats and significantly improved air conditioning across all of the VIP areas. Hamburg-based insurance company HanseMerkur gave a loan to the club to finance the stadium renovation. They provided an additional €3m per annum in the form of sponsorship from 2022 to 2025.

© MgHamburg (cc: by-sa)

Club restructures the stadium ownership rights

The club also entered into a deal with Hamburg city authorities to restructure the ownership rights of the site of Volksparkstadion. The city purchased the site of the stadium for a market value of €23.5m. The deal gave the club the right to lease the site until at least 2087 with an option for a further 30 years. The market-based yearly leasing rate will be 1.8% of the value of the site, giving Hamburg clarity about their future expenditure to remain at the Volksparkstadion. The move not only ensures that the stadium is fit to host Euro 2024, but will also enhance the matchday experience for Hamburg fans for the foreseeable future. Having dropped out of the Bundesliga six years ago, the club has faced some significant financial challenges over the past few years.

Restructuring the stadium ownership rights has facilitated the completion of much-needed modernisation work during extremely difficult economic times. The involvement of the city’s authorities aligns with their ambitious property strategy, establishing what has been described as an optimal solution for all parties.

© MerlinSenger (cc: by-sa)