12.02.2016, 03:30
LANXESS arena among the Top 10 venues worldwide

NEWS REPORT: More than 1,5 million visitors at 146 events in 2015 in the home of the VELUX EHF FINAL4

LANXESS arena among the Top 10 venues worldwide

2015 was a record-breaking year for the LANXESS arena, not only because of the sixth edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 as the final highlighter of the VELUX EHF Champions League season. In total, 1,506,190 visitors attended 146 events in the LANXESS arena in 2015.

Thanks to 733,433 fans at music and show events the biggest multi-purpose arena in Germany had the globally seventh highest attendance in the ranking of the magazine "Pollstar" - and finished two positions ahead of the 2014 ranking. The first three positions are taken by arenas in Great Britain, topped by the O2 London with 1,819,487 tickets sold.

For the sixth time, the VELUX EHF FINAL4 had been sold-out with almost 20,000 handball fans each on both days of the event in 2015, besides the LANXESS area is the home for the ice hockey club “Kölner Haie” from a sportive point of view.

In terms of concerts, the who is who of the international music scene had been on stage at Cologne: Paul Simon & Sting, Foo Fighters, Neil Diamond, David Guetta, Simply Red, Usher, Katy Perry, Mark Knopfler, Ariana Grande, Fleetwood Mac, Roxette, System of the Down, Taylor Swift, U2 or Madonna. Hence, Cologne is one of the globally leading concert venues.

Thanks to the overall of 1,506,190 visitors, LANXESS arena lived up to its reputation as economical motor and image factor for Cologne: “20 per cent of all arena visitors at least stayed for one night at a hotel in Cologne, half of them even stayed longer.

Thus, 450,000 hotel nights in 2015 were caused by events in the area,” said Stefan Löcher, CEO of the arena management, adding: “Since years, the approximately 150 events per year ensure a turnover of 600 million € in Cologne and the region around and hence is an important business factor.”

The next edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 will be staged in the LANXESS arena on 28/29 May, when the four best teams of the VELUX EHF Champions League fight for the trophy. In total, more than 120 events for 2016 are already confirmed in the LANXESS arena.

In 2017 - and for the third time - the IIHF Hockey World Championship will be hosted in the arena, with an expected number of 400,000 fans in 17 days.

TEXT: Björn Pazen, Stadionwelt / br