The home of Schalke 04 awaits its first major renovation. It’s already 15 years old and requires upgrades, while the expected lifespan of Veltins Arena is estimated at 50 years. What happens then?

Speaking to Der Westen, stadium Chief Financial Officer Peter Peters announced Veltins Arena will soon undergo its first major overhaul. One shouldn’t expect major structural changes, but crucial systems will be upgraded or replaced altogether. These include loudspeakers, giant screens, access and surveillance systems.

There’s no specific budget or time frame so far, but Peters suggested this needs to happen as the stadium will soon be 20 years old and thus requires upgrades to prolong its lifespan. Which, he stated, is expected to be 50 years. What will happen to Veltins Arena then? It may be demolished entirely or significantly redeveloped to meet future demands.

So far Veltins Arena went through only minor alterations. Among them the most visible one is increase in capacity. Since opening in 2001 the stadium grew by roughly 2,000 seats in small phases. Last one took place in 2015 and saw 298 seats added, reaching current size of 62,271.

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