Lanxess Arena rises in the Deutz district of Cologne, Germany, its 76-meter steel arch visible for miles along the Rhine. Opened on October 5, 1998, as Kölnarena, the venue was designed by architect Peter Böhm and cost about €153 million to build. It was renamed in 2008 after chemical company Lanxess AG acquired the naming rights, a partnership since extended through 2028.
Since opening, the arena has grown into one of the most heavily booked entertainment venues on the planet. It regularly tops attendance charts among the world’s arenas, drawing millions of fans each year across concerts, sports, and esports. In 2025 alone it logged around 2.6 million visitors across roughly 208 events, setting a new all-time record for the venue.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Deutz, Cologne, Germany
- Type: Multi-purpose indoor arena
- Opened: October 5, 1998
- Capacity: About 20,000 for concerts (19,500 for handball, 18,500 for ice hockey)
- Architect: Peter Böhm
- Famous for: One of the world’s highest-attended arenas, home of the Kölner Haie ice hockey club
A Design Built Around a Landmark Arch
The arena’s signature feature is its curved steel arch, standing about 76 meters tall and weighing around 480 tons, which suspends the roof via steel cables. Architect Peter Böhm shaped the building so that arch became a recognizable part of Cologne’s skyline alongside the city’s famous cathedral, and the design allows the interior to be reconfigured for hockey, handball, or full-capacity concert layouts.
That flexibility has made it a go-to stop for touring acts. Superstars including Metallica, Drake, Billie Eilish, and Hans Zimmer have filled the arena in recent years, with Metallica reportedly breaking its attendance record more than once during their visits.
Home Ice and a Global Attendance Record
Beyond concerts, the arena serves as the home rink of the Kölner Haie of Germany’s DEL ice hockey league and has hosted major international competitions, including the 2010 IIHF World Championship and the 2007 World Men’s Handball Championship, plus the EHF Champions League Final Four. It’s also become a fixture on the Counter-Strike esports circuit, earning the nickname ‘The Cathedral’ among fans since 2015.
As of 2019, industry tracking named Lanxess Arena the highest-attended arena in the world, with nearly 700,000 tickets sold that year. The venue has kept building on that reputation, posting new visitor records in both 2024 and 2025.
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Lanxess Arena FAQs
When did Lanxess Arena open?
It opened on October 5, 1998, originally under the name Kölnarena.
How many people can Lanxess Arena hold?
About 20,000 for concerts, with slightly lower capacities of 19,500 for handball and 18,500 for ice hockey.
Why is it called Lanxess Arena?
Chemical company Lanxess AG bought the naming rights in 2008; the deal has since been extended through 2028.
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Photo: Raimond Spekking / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.