When FC Schalke 04 welcomes Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening (6 March), the home game will mark another impressive milestone: it will be the 750th major event in the history of the VELTINS-Arena. 750 sporting events, events and concerts full of emotion, passion and unforgettable moments.
There were 996 days of construction time between the laying of the foundation stone on November 21, 1998 and the opening on August 18, 2001 as Arena AufSchalke. Considering the size and technical complexity, this is a comparatively short period of time. Even today, the stadium, which has been widely known as the VELTINS Arena since 2005, meets the highest standards and is one of the top venues in Germany and Europe. The reason for this is the continuous investment that S04 makes in its living room. Figures prove that this decision is the right one: In the calendar year 2025, the multifunctional arena welcomed around 2.2 million fans and visitors at around 1080 events.
Silver jubilee
Since its completion, the VELTINS-Arena has been the stage for top international acts, the venue for major sporting events and, above all, the home of FC Schalke 04. Generations of fans have celebrated triumphs here, overcome setbacks together and experienced that special mixture of thrills and solidarity that makes a home game at Schalke unique. It is all the more fitting that the 750th major event is taking place in a special year: the arena will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026 - a quarter of a century full of great moments, moving stories and technical innovations.
The fact that a league match of all things marks this highlight also points to the core of the stadium: soccer. 750 major events include more than 500 home matches of the Knappen with over 1300 goals."With the match against Arminia Bielefeld, we are not only reaching an impressive milestone, but above all celebrating the people who fill our VELTINS-Arena with life. Every single event has shown what Schalke 04 stands for: Sparking enthusiasm, sharing emotions and creating unforgettable moments," explains S04 CEO Matthias Tillmann. "Our mission is clear - now and in the future: we want to bring people together, get them excited and give them experiences that will last for a long time."
"The VELTINS-Arena is our most important fan venue, where at least 55,000 home fans come together every other weekend during the season to cheer on their club, but above all to experience the community at Schalke.In these moments, you can always feel why our VELTINS-Arena is more than just a venue - it is a piece of identity," emphasizes Sebastian Buntkirchen, Director of Fan Culture and Sustainability.
From AC/DC to Taylor Swift
Over 25 years, the arena in Gelsenkirchen has developed into much more than just a soccer stadium. With a capacity of up to 80,000 spectators, it offers ideal conditions for top-class concerts in summer and at special event times. Music shows are not only characterized by their great variety, but also by their special atmosphere: the combination of modern technology, impressive stage production and the energy of tens of thousands of fans makes every performance an unforgettable experience.
Numerous international and national stars from a wide variety of genres regularly put on spectacular performances. The list of world-famous artists is long: Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, AC/DC, Robbie Williams, Metallica, Iron Maiden and Bruce Springsteen are among the absolute concert highlights that have attracted attention far beyond the city limits. German-speaking stars also regularly play legendary shows at Schalke. Herbert Grönemeyer, who will return to Gelsenkirchen in 2027, has already been a guest eight times. Between 2003 and 2023, almost half a million music lovers attended one of his concerts in the VELTINS-Arena. Only PUR can beat these figures - the German cult band has thrilled around 634,000 fans at twelve shows.
Top-class sporting events
Ice hockey, football, boxing - in addition to soccer, the VELTINS-Arena regularly hosts major sporting events. One highlight stands out: biathlon at Schalke. The World Team Challenge has long been a permanent fixture in the stadium's calendar. Apart from a coronavirus-related break in 2020 and 2021, the winter sports spectacle has been attracting crowds since 2002. In total, more than 900,000 fans have cheered on the international biathlon stars - most recently with a German victory. In 2026, the elite will also traditionally take to the trails in December.
The VELTINS-Arena is therefore continuing its history: first with the remaining six S04 home games, then in the summer with concert highlights, including Helene Fischer and "Die 80er live", as well as action-packed events such as Monster Jam. If you want to be part of it, you can secure tickets attickets.schalke04.de.
