Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the Fröttmaning district of Munich, Germany, and has served as the home of FC Bayern Munich since the 2005–06 Bundesliga season. Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and opened on 30 May 2005, it was built at a cost of around €340 million and stands 50 metres tall, making it one of the most recognisable sports venues on the planet.
The stadium is instantly distinguishable by its outer shell of 2,760 inflated ETFE plastic panels — the first stadium in the world with a full colour-changing facade. The panels can glow red for Bayern Munich matches, blue for former co-tenant TSV 1860 Munich (who shared the ground from 2005 to 2017), or white for Germany national team fixtures. With a domestic capacity of 75,024, it ranks as the second-largest stadium in Germany, behind only the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): FC Bayern Munich (2005–present)
- Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany
- Opened: 30 May 2005
- Capacity (Domestic): 75,024
- Capacity (International): 70,000
- Construction Cost: ~€340 million
- Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
- Notable Fact: First stadium with a full colour-changing exterior
A Stage for Football’s Biggest Occasions
Allianz Arena has hosted some of the most prestigious matches in world football. Six games were played here during the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and in 2012 the stadium was the setting for the UEFA Champions League Final — the rare occasion where Bayern Munich competed for European glory on their own pitch. The arena repeated that feat in May 2025, when Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan 5–0 in front of 64,327 spectators to claim PSG’s first European Cup.
UEFA Euro 2024 brought six matches to Munich, including a quarterfinal, and the stadium also hosted four games at the pandemic-delayed UEFA Euro 2020. In 2022 and 2024 it staged NFL regular-season games as part of the NFL International Series, underlining how the venue’s scale and infrastructure can accommodate virtually any major event.
Architecture and Engineering
Construction began in October 2002 and the finished building covers 258 metres in length and 227 metres in width. The outer membrane of independently lit ETFE cushions was a collaboration between Herzog & de Meuron and the engineering firm Arup, producing a design unlike anything in world football at the time — and still widely imitated.
Beneath the stadium sits Europe’s largest underground car park, with space for around 9,800 vehicles. Every one of the 75,024 seats is sheltered by the roof, protecting fans from Bavaria’s variable weather while maintaining clear sight lines throughout the bowl.
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Allianz Arena FAQs
What is the capacity of Allianz Arena?
Allianz Arena holds 75,024 spectators for domestic Bundesliga matches. For international and UEFA competition fixtures, standing areas are converted to seating, reducing capacity to approximately 70,000.
When did Allianz Arena open?
The stadium officially opened on 30 May 2005 with a match between TSV 1860 Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg.
What major tournaments has Allianz Arena hosted?
The arena hosted six matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, four matches at UEFA Euro 2020, six matches at UEFA Euro 2024, and the 2025 UEFA Champions League Final, where PSG beat Inter Milan 5–0.
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Photo: 2015 Michael 2015 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.