Description
"Merkur Spiel Arena" is a modern multi-purpose stadium located in the city of Dusseldorf, Germany. The home arena for the local football club "Fortuna".
The construction of the "Merkur Spire Arena" began in 2002 near the banks of the Rhine on the site of the old "Rheinstadion". The grand opening took place two years later. The first official football match was held on September 10, 2004, in which "Fortuna" beat the Berlin Union. The estimated cost of construction is estimated at 218 million euros.
The maximum capacity of the arena is 54,600 people for football matches and 66,500 for concerts. For the convenience of visitors, the stadium has a canopy over the stands and a sliding roof over the playing field.
This stadium hosted the matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. The national team of the country also regularly holds its home matches at international tournaments and competitions here.
In 2010, the Merkur Shpil Arena hosted motorsport competitions, the Race of Champions, in which the best drivers from different series participated, for example, Michael Schumacher, Sebastien Loeb, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Mick Duane and others.
The stadium is actively used as a concert venue. The first internationally renowned performer was singer Herbert Grenemeyer, who gave a concert here in 2005. The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode, Paul McCartney, AC/DC, Beyoncé and many others have also performed here.