Allianz Arena

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Lore & Background

Bayern Munich have played their home games at the Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season. The club had previously played their home games at the Munich Olympic Stadium since 1972. 1860 Munich previously had a 50 per cent share in the stadium, but, in 2006, sold this to Bayern for €11m to help resolve a serious financial crisis that saw 1860 facing bankruptcy. The arrangement allowed 1860 Munich to play at the stadium while retaining no ownership until 2025. However, in July 2017 Bayern terminated the rental contract with 1860, making themselves the sole tenants of the stadium. The large locally based financial services provider Allianz purchased the naming rights to the stadium for 30 years. However, this name cannot be used when hosting FIFA and UEFA events, since these governing bodies have policies forbidding corporate sponsorship from companies that are not official tournament partners. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was referred to as FIFA WM-Stadion München (FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich). In UEFA club, Nations League and international matches, it is known as the Fußball Arena München [ˈfuːsbal ʔaˌʁeːna ˈmʏnçn̩] (Football Arena Munich), and it hosted the 2012 Champions League Final and is scheduled to host the 2025 Champions League Final, as well as matches during UEFA Euro 2024. Since 2012, the museum of Bayern Munich, FC Bayern Erlebniswelt, has been located inside the Allianz Arena. In 2022, it hosted a first regular season National Football League (NFL) American football game played in Germany as part of the NFL International Series.

In Their Own Story

The journey to this singular home began with a shared vision and financial necessity. Originally commissioned by Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH in 2001, the stadium was owned equally by Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 Munich. However, the narrative shifted dramatically in 2006 when 1860 Munich sold their 50% share to Bayern for €11m to avoid bankruptcy. Although a rental agreement allowed 1860 to play there until 2025 while retaining no ownership, Bayern terminated this contract in July 2017, becoming the sole tenants. This consolidation mirrored the stadium's evolution from a shared project into a fortress of singular identity. The name 'Allianz' was secured for 30 years by the financial services provider, though it vanishes during UEFA and FIFA events to comply with sponsorship policies, temporarily reverting to names like 'FIFA WM-Stadion München' or 'Fußball Arena München'.

Reader's Guide

The stadium has a capacity of 70,000 for international matches and 75,000 for domestic matches. The lower tier can seat up to 20,000, the middle tier up to 24,000, and the upper tier up to 22,000. 10,400 of the seats in the lower tier corners can be converted to standing room to allow an additional 3,120 spectators. The total capacity includes 2,000 business seats, 400 seats for the press, 106 luxury boxes with seating for up to 174, and 165 berths for wheelchairs. The partial roof covers all seats. Allianz Arena also offers three-day-care centres and a fan shop, the FC Bayern Munich Megastore. There are four team locker rooms, four coaches' locker rooms, and two locker rooms for referees. Two areas are provided where athletes can warm up (approx. 110 m2 each). There are also 550 toilets and 190 monitors in the arena. Patrons may park in Europe's largest parking structure, comprising four four-storey parking garages with 9,800 parking places. The stadium is located next to the Fröttmaning U-Bahn station on the U6 line.

Did You Know?

• The arena facade is constructed of 2,760 ETFE-foil air panels that are kept inflated with dry air to a differential pressure of 3.5 Pa.
• Each panel can be independently lit with white, red, or blue light; red for Bayern Munich, blue for TSV 1860, and white for the Germany national team or neutral venues.
• The stadium's innovative lighting concept has been adopted in other venues like MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
• On clear nights, the stadium can be spotted from Austrian mountain tops up to 50 miles (80 km) away.
• Total concrete used during stadium construction: 120,000 m³; total steel used: 22,000 tonnes.