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2006 FIFA World Cup™ FAN FEST – MainArena: Football goes downtown Football is the biggest cultural event in the world. No other sport brings together so many different people from across all continents! This sense of community will be strengthened even more in Frankfurt by the MainArena FAN FEST.

Place: MainArena between “Alte Mainbrücke” and “Ignatz-Bubis-Brücke” bridges (Obermainbrücke bridge)
Dates:3 June – 9 July (Fan Area open from 3 June, Public Viewing Area from 9 June).
Opening hours:Opens 90 minutes prior to kick-off on match days, 6pm on non-match days. Open until 1am on working days, until 2am Fridays, Saturday, Sundays and public holidays
Number of giant screens:2 (each 144m2)
Capacity:15,000 people

Throughout the whole of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, from the Opening Match on 9 June for the next 31 days, until the Final on 9 July, the banks of the River Main will be transformed into an incredible arena, as modern and impressive as the twelve FIFA World Cup stadiums themselves.

Flanked by Frankfurt’s skyline on one side and by the Sachsenhause area on the other, with its museums situated one after the other, a giant LED screen will be installed on the Main. It will be anchored down on the river itself and visible from both sides. The river’s night life and scenery will link it naturally with the skyline. The name “MainArena” FAN FEST was chosen for a reason, since the riverside entertainment is designed to create as much atmosphere as in the stadium itself. Heading northwards along the streets, seats will be installed, and around the riverside itself, on the quay wall, temporary stands will be built. There will be three public viewing areas in total - north, south and east.

In the northern part of the city, there is also a large sunbathing area right on the riverside. This will mean that the MainArena FAN FEST can welcome up to 15,000 visitors, which is as many as can fit into some of the smaller Bundesliga stadiums. Every aspect of football will thus be a part of the Summer 2006 experience, with the pure excitement on the pitch and in the stadiums mixing with the more laid-back communal experience that the sport has always offered. This latter characteristic will come to the fore via the multi-faceted MainArena FAN FEST, which stretches out as far as the FIFA World Cup Park in the west. It will not only be a venue for watching live broadcasts of the matches, but also a meeting place for like-minded fans looking for entertainment. On the north bank on the city side, a mini football pitch is being set up, and other areas will be set aside for stages featuring dance, music and the arts. The MainArena will always have something to offer beyond the main sporting focus of the summer – it will be a FIFA World Cup theatre for all, in the heart of the city, out in the open, and where entry is free.

The MainArena FAN FEST will let fans follow all 64 FIFA World Cup matches live (with some of them running concurrently). With its unique riverside venue, it will go a long way to making up for the disappointment of those who did not manage to get tickets for the five FIFA World Cup matches being held in Frankfurt. There will be a real football atmosphere, and once the final whistle has blown in the various matches, Frankfurt’s urban woodland will become a natural extension of the match-day experience. The MainArena FAN FEST will bathe FIFA World Cup games in a party ambience in one of Germany’s most stylish and multi-cultural cities.

SkyArena

The inauguration of Frankfurt’s participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany will take place from 3 to 5 June, with a three-day skyline illumination programme. Over the three evenings, a 45-minute show with images of football stars and a light show with music will be projected onto the city’s skyscrapers. 40 high-powered projectors will not only light up the various bank buildings, but flash images onto them, turning this world-renowned financial centre into a footballing focal point. The best views of this nightly show will be from the Sachsenhausen bank of the river.

Fan Fest in Frankfurt -  MainArena between “Alte Mainbrücke” and “Ignatz-Bubis-Brücke” bridges (Obermainbrücke bridge) in Google Map

Gelsenkirchen – living and breathing football Even if you were unable to get your hands on match tickets, you can still enjoy the veritable feast of football-related entertainment soon to be on offer in Gelsenkirchen. On all 32 days of the FIFA World CupTM, matches will be shown live on a giant screen in the Glückaufkampfbahn stadium, which the city’s fans will forever associate with local club Schalke’s German league title win in 1958.

From 1928 to 1973, the Glückaufkampfbahn was home to the Schalke “Knaves”. The atmosphere in the stadium was legendary, despite being built for just 35,000 fans, often up to 70,000 would be squeeze their way in, almost literally hanging off the crossbars as they cheered on the team in royal blue.

The scene of Schalke’s greatest triumphs should once again be packed to the rafters during the 2006 FIFA World Cup™, and will serve as the city’s second venue for the 2006 FIFA World Cup FAN FEST. Entry will be free, and the entertainment on offer will be top-notch.

Place:Glückauf-Kampfbahn
Dates:8 June – 9 July
Opening hours:1pm – 11pm
Number of giant screens:One (60m2)
Capacity:25,000 people

Entertainment programme and top concerts
The wide-ranging free daily entertainment programme during the 2006 FIFA World Cup will include live broadcasts from 56 FIFA World Cup games on a 60m2 video screen, as well as background reports, interviews and live shows from the other Host Cities. There will also be a variety of exciting shows every day, held on a big open-air stage.

On the days in between games, Gelsenkirchen will be taking the entertainment to a new level, organising evening concerts with top acts from the international music scene at incredibly low prices. Tickets are already on sale for the following 2006 FIFA World Cup FAN FEST concerts:

-8 June 2006: SIMPLE MINDS, tickets 19 Euros
- 28 June 2006: STATUS QUO, tickets 19 Euros
- 29 June 2006: GIPSY KINGS, tickets 15 Euros
- 2 July 2006: MUSTAFA SANDAL, tickets 19 Euros
- 3 July 2006: DIE FANTASTISCHEN VIER, tickets 19 Euros
- 6 July 2006: TOKIO HOTEL, tickets 19 Euros
- 7 July 2006: BRYAN ADAMS, tickets 22 Euros.

Tickets can be ordered by telephone (+49 (0)209 / 14 77 999) and also at the usual outlets. Concert tickets are also valid for travel to the venue via the ÖPNV local transport network (the quickest route being tram 302 to Ernst-Kuzorra-Platz).

There will also be exciting events and exhibitions every day at the Glückaufkampfbahn, as well as international cuisine and a musical entertainment programme. Throughout the FIFA World Cup, there will be top shows on the big open-air stage, along with seven high-quality musical events on evenings when there are no games. The proceedings will kick off every day at 1pm, and include performances from bands from the surrounding area and throughout Germany, DJs and comedians, as well as experts and celebrities taking part in discussion forums.

Fan Fest in Gelsenkirchen - Glückauf-Kampfbahn in Google Map

From 9 June to 9 July 2006, a million football-crazy fans will be able to see all the games and all the goals from the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ at the FAN FEST in Hamburg. Every day, the whole city, including the locals and of course fans from the rest of Germany and all around the world, will come together from midday until midnight at the Heiligengeistfeld in the heart of the city, right by the Kiez area.

Place: Heiligengeistfeld at the Millerntor
Dates: 9 June – 9 July
Opening hours: Midday – midnight
Number of giant screens: 1 (80m2)
Capacity: 50,000 people

At the Heiligengeistfeld (Field of the Holy Ghost), right in the centre of Hamburg, there will be a public viewing area, where all the matches will be shown on a giant screen. The Heiligengeistfeld is also close to the port and the city centre, meaning that Hamburg will be able to live up to its reputation as a maritime hub and also as a party town during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

As well as the 56 matches live on the video wall, the organisers have come up with around 200 hours worth of shows running throughout the 31 days of the tournament. Talk-shows with stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment will be a daily theme, as well as a full programme of concerts and events. The “FAN FEST Kick-Off Show” will open the proceedings every day on the main stage and feature a wide variety of different entertainment, from panel discussions with experts such as former internationals Thomas Doll, Manfred Kaltz, Uwe Seeler and Charly Dörfel to comedy shows featuring the city’s top talent, including Thomas Hermanns, Johann König and Emmi & Herrn Willnowsky.

Mamma Mia and Right Said Fred

Impresario Karsten Jahnke has already booked 17 top musical acts for the FAN FEST, with something for everyone – soul, funk, rock, pop, country, hip-hop… With free entry every day from 9 June to 9 July, who could resist coming to the Heiligengeistfeld to see some of the many great acts from the local, national and international music scenes? The BossHoss, Maximo Park, Michy Reincke, Tommy the Clown and Right Said Fred will all be there, while Stage Entertainment will also be performing excerpts from the top musical Mamma Mia!

The Heiligengeistfeld will be divided into two sections for the Fan Fest:

The Fans’ Stadium

The FAN FEST 2006 FIFA World Cup™ on the Heiligengeistfeld will give up to 50,000 fans the opportunity to watch games on an 80m² giant screen. The organisers promise that it will be almost like being at the game itself. A stage below the screen will host a wide programme of events when no live games are being shown. Interviews, football-related discussions involving celebrities from the fields of sport and entertainment, and a cultural and musical programme showcasing Hamburg artists are just a few of the planned highlights of the programme which is sure to have something to offer for everyone.

The Fan Park

Here, visitors will be able to enjoy a wide range of gastronomic delights. The Fan Park will be home to a ‘beach club’ offering international cuisine and a ‘fish market’ based on the legendary Hamburg market held on the quayside every Sunday morning, as well as the "Boulevard of Nations", with 29 different restaurants. Once they have sated their appetite, guests can try their hand at table football, play a game of five-a-side, or even ‘Human table football’.

Fan Fest in Hamburg -  Heiligengeistfeld in Google Map

In Hanover, the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ will not just be limited to the stadium. Fans looking for some real atmosphere should go downtown, and make the most of the vast array of events and entertainment on offer.

Place:Waterlooplatz
Dates:7 June – 9 July
Opening hours:11am – 11pm
Number of giant screens:1 (60m2)
Capacity:20,000 people

The 60m2 big screen could hardly have chosen a better location, right next to the incredible Waterloo Column. The square of the same name has been surrounded by prints, all with a football theme and which are already bringing visitors flocking in.

This summer’s festivities will all take place in the city centre so visitors will not have too far to travel between events. It only takes between 20 and 25 minutes to walk from the train station to the FIFA World Cup Stadium and the route passes by some of Hanover’s famous landmarks including the Kröpcke clock (a popular meeting point for locals on Karmaschstrasse) and the bronze sculpture of the Göttingen Seven, a group of professors who protested against the absolute sovereignty of the kings of Hanover in 1837.

The route to the stadium also encompasses the Fan Mile, which will offer a diverse programme of entertainment for the hordes of football fans expected to flock to the city. This area boasts a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants, and visitors can expect to see special promotions in the local bars. To add flavour to the festivities, many of the establishments here will be displaying special window displays, no doubt with a FIFA World Cup theme.

Only a few steps away from the FIFA World Cup Mile, nestled between the Old Town Hall and the Marktkirche (Church of the marketplace), you will find the Global Village and Gourmet Festival venues. As at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005, musicians from all over the world will descend on Hanover to play their part and particular emphasis will be placed on the countries due to play in the city during the group stages, namely, Switzerland, Ghana, Italy, Korea Republic, Poland, Mexico, Costa Rica and Angola. Up to 2,500 fans at a time will be able to enjoy the acts appearing on the stage here.

Anyone looking for a few quiet minutes away from the festivities should walk on to Ballhof, where the Gourmet Festival will be waiting to serve visitors with speciality food and drink from the competing nations. In the square by the old theatre, up to 300 people will be able to sit down and eat, and of course enjoy the surroundings.

On 7 June, the FAN FEST area will be officially inaugurated with a concert, for which entry will be free, featuring famous bands from Hanover, including The Scorpions, Heinz Rudolf Kunze and his band, Fury In The Slaughterhouse and Mousse T on the stage by the Waterloo column. From 9 June onwards, a wide variety of shows and events have been planned, including music and gourmet festivals.

Fan Fest in Hanover -  Waterlooplatz in Google Map

Cologne has long been renowned within Germany for its cultural and historical diversity, friendly citizens and also for its enthusiastic and fair-minded football fans. Now the whole world will have a chance to see these same qualities in a city which always seems able to conjure up a carnival spirit, regardless of the time of year.

The FAN FEST 2006 FIFA World Cup™ will bring a colourful mixture of sport and culture to downtown Cologne, mixed with a dash of local and international cuisine and rounded off with events and ‘infotainment’. The icing on the cake or, perhaps more fittingly, the foam on the beer will of course be the Kolsch hospitality for which the city is legendary. Put it all together, and you’ve got la Ola Colonia - the Cologne Wave.

FAN FEST on the Roncalliplatz and the Heumarkt

The FIFA World Cup party will be starting around the Roncalliplatz. Downtown Cologne will have a mixture of local and international flavours and visitors will be able to stroll down the FIFA World Cup Fan Mile between the Heumarkt, Alter Markt and Wallraffplatz, taking in the fan activities along the way, including a mini-football pitch.

All of this is within a few minutes’ walk of Cologne central station and the centre-point for the FAN FEST 2006 FIFA World Cup™ will be the Heumarkt, with the public viewing area showing live broadcasts of FIFA World Cup matches, as well as football ‘Action Tools’ and a play area for children. The square can accommodate as many as 7,500 fans.

n typical Kolsch style, the party will by no means be limited to one square in the centre of the city. Throughout the finals, la Ola Colonia will sweep through the city between the Heumarkt and Roncalliplatz, turning Cologne into a vibrant hub of activity. Tens of thousands of visitors will be able to watch games live on big screens in the city centre, giving even those who do not have match tickets a taste of the atmosphere unique to a FIFA World Cup.

The giant screens at the Roncalliplatz will show the matches with top billing, while the Heumarkt, at the foot of Cologne’s incredible cathedral, will broadcast every match.

FIFA World Cup fever is already running high in the streets of Cologne. The sheer number of recent events – exhibitions, plays, concerts, dance shows, jazz nights and much more – are proof that the famous cathedral city is ready to play its part in the biggest football party the world has known, and offer a taste of what Cologne’s citizens and visitors can look forward to during Germany 2006.

Fan Fest in Cologne -  Roncalliplatz in Google Map.