In view of the already large number of visitors, public viewing of European Football Championship matches in the Olympic Park will be expanded. “In order to give even more fans the opportunity to experience the games together live and to ease the situation in the existing fan zone, we will also be opening the Olympic Stadium from next weekend,” announced Munich’s mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) on Tuesday.
On Saturday, fans will be able to watch the German national team’s round of 16 match, which begins at 9 p.m., not only on three large screens in the fan zone at Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz, but also next door in the Olympic Stadium. A 160 square meter screen will be installed there at the level of the center circle in front of the opposite stand; the covered main stand will not be available due to renovation work. The stadium will then have space for another 20,000 fans; the capacity in the fan zone around Hans-Jochen-Vogel-Platz is limited to 25,000 visitors.
The Olympic Stadium will open on Saturday at 5 p.m. Both of the day’s round of 16 matches will be broadcast at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and the stadium kiosks will sell food and drinks. Access is via the north entrance, and entry is free, as is the case in the fan zone. The entertainment program there will begin as usual at 1 p.m.
“I am delighted at how well the fan zone has been received,” said Olympic Park manager Marion Schöne on Tuesday. To date, more than 330,000 visitors have come to the park to experience the football and the supporting program. She is happy to be able to offer fans even more seats. The Olympic Stadium will be opened for the live broadcast of the German games as well as the matches played in Munich in the Fröttmaninger Arena. Mayor Reiter was very pleased that the project had been implemented so quickly; the Austrian Andreas Gabalier had performed in the stadium at the weekend.
On Monday evening, the fan zone was full for the first time at a match without German participation – the match between Italy and Croatia. This had previously been the case at all three group matches of the DFB team. “The sporting success of the German team is generating great interest and a large influx into the fan zone in the Olympic Park. And many guests come to the other games too,” Reiter noted.