Gelsenkirchen - Veltins-Arena

Gelsenkirchen

Like much of the Ruhr Valley region, Gelsenkirchen was once dominated by the coal and steel industries. Today, the city is more renowned for cleaner solar energy and has developed into a national business and research centre for solar technology. The end of coal exploitation has also made way for a rich cultural landscape with mineshafts being replaced by theatres and cabarets. The transition from coal to culture is epitomised by the former Consol colliery, while the installation of lighting has transformed the Rungeberg slag heap into a nocturnal landmark.

Scheduled Matches

Five World Cup games will be staged at Gelsenkirchen's Veltins-Arena - four group matches, and a quarter-final. The match schedule is as follows:

Match #	Date & Time	Group	Teams		Result	Venue
2	Fri 9th Jun 21:00	A	POL	ECU	0 - 2	Gelsenkirchen
10	Mon 12th Jun 18:00	E	USA	CZE	0 - 3	Gelsenkirchen
21	Fri 16th Jun 15:00	C	ARG	SCG	6 - 0	Gelsenkirchen
39	Wed 21st Jun 16:00	D	POR	MEX	2 - 1	Gelsenkirchen
59	Sat 1st Jul 17:00	QF	ENG	POR	0 - 0 aet 1 - 3 pen	Gelsenkirchen

Match times shown are local times for Germany (CEST/GMT+0200). Click on match date/time to view match statistics.

Veltins-Arena

Inaugurated in 2001 at a cost of €192 million euros, the AufSchalke Arena is one of Europe's most modern stadiums, incorporating a moveable roof, a state-of-the-art sound system, video cubes with 4 screens of 36 square metres each and a retractable pitch which resides outside the covered stadium when not in use.

Now renamed as the Veltins-Arena, the stadium is home to the Bundesliga's seven times league champions FC Schalke 04 who celebrated their centenary year in 2004. It has a capacity of 61,524 for Bundesliga games (standing and seating) but only 43,920 places will be available to fans for World Cup games (43,574 for the quarter-final game).

World Cup Fan Fest in Gelsenkirchen

From June 8 onwards, Gelsenkirchen will be staging the FIFA 2006 World Cup Fan Fest at the Glückauf-Kampfbahn where various youth teams and the Schalke reserves currently train. As many as 22,000 fans from all over the world are expected to converge here to support their teams during the World Cup.

Every World Cup game will be shown live here on a sixty square metre videowall. There will be a programme of day/evening entertainment on offer, even on non-match days. Refreshments, toilets and medical services will be available.

All visitors will be requested to travel to the fan fest using public transport. Car parking will be limited. The Glückauf-Kampfbahn is, however, at the heart of the district of Schalke. Anyone arriving by car should head for one of the Park & Ride car parks selected for the World Cup and then use the shuttle bus service or take the tram (Line 302, get off at Ernst-Kuzorra-Platz).

Travelling to Gelsenkirchen

By air Gelsenkirchen can be reached from Düsseldorf International Airport or Dortmund Airport. Düsseldorf International Airport is very modern and efficient with easy links to rail and motorway networks. Direct and indirect (e.g. 1 change at Essen or Oberhausen) trains from Düsseldorf airport or Hauptbanhof to Gelsenkirchen take approximately 40-50 minutes. Dortmund is the closest airport to Gelsenkirchen. Buses/taxis take approximately 20 minutes.

To get to the Arena users of public transport should take tram No. 302 from the lower level of Gelsenkirchen station in the direction of Gelsenkirchen-Buer as far as the Arena AufSchalke stop.

The local transport authority runs plenty of extra trams to all matches. Holders of match tickets are entitled to use all public transport services in the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Authority (VRR) region free of charge.

Useful links & information:

Stadium address:

AufSchalke Arena
Ernst-Kuzorra-Weg 1
45891 Gelsenkirchen