Munich Olympiapark

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Olympiahalle and Olympiastadion from air

Interiors of Olympiahalle and stands of Olympiastadion

Olympiapark (English: Olympic Park) in Munich is an Olympic Park constructed for the 1972 Olympics. It is located in northern Munich in the district of Am Riesenfeld near the BMW Headquarters. The park includes an Olympic Area, housing the Munich Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium), Munich Olympiahalle (Olympic Arena) and the Munich Olympia Schwimmhalle (Olympic Swimming Arena). Located there is also the Olympiaturm (Olympic Tower), an observation tower at 291 metres in height. Joining the Olympic Area is also an Olympic Village, Olympia-Pressestadt (Olympic Press Village), which is today the home of a shopping centre, and the Olympic Park.

The layout of the park, it's tensile structure and the sporting arenas were designed by Frei Otto and Günther Behnisch of an architectural firm Behnisch and Partners. The area was under construction between 1968 and 1972 on a former U.S. Army refugee camp site. There are two main large areas still in use for various events today; The Olympiastadion is home to the a large number of national and international competitions in Germany. The capacity of the stadium is currently at a little over 69,000. Before, it used to be 80,000, but was reduced by the end of 1990s due to security concerns. It used to be the home stadium of FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München until the erection of the Allianz Arena in 2005. The Olympiahalle used to be the main site for gymnastics and handball events during the '72 Olympics and is now a multi-purpose arena. It used to be part-time home to an ice hockey team, EC Hedos München. The capacity ranges between 12,150 and 15,500. In 2009, the arena underwent an overhaul with a new VIP area, a restaurant and a 4,000-capacity underground second arena (called Klein Olympiahalle - Small Olympic Arena) all being built. The main arena had it's capacity increased and allows for faster access for stage crews during events.

Since the Olympics, the stadium hosted the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Euro 1988, the 1997 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2012 UEFA Women's Champions League Final. In the same year, it also hosted the public viewing of the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final which took place at Allianz Arena. It also hosted the Spar European Cup 2007 and the 2002 European Athletics Championships. The stadium has also hosted many large concerts including The Rolling Stones, Prince, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Elton John & Billy Joel (during the Face to Face tour), Diana Ross, Tina Turner and more. It has also hosted the first edition of the Rockavaria festival in 2015, when Muse were headlining. The arena pays host to the annual Six Days of Munich, an international track cycling competition. In years 1974 and 1991 it hosted the World Figureskating Championships and in 1993 it hosted the final phase of the European Basketball Championships. In 1989 and 1999 it hosted the Euroleague Final Four. WWE has also hosted several shows at the arena since 1992.

Muse only performed at the Olympiastadion once, during the Rockavaria festival, while on other occasions, they played in the Olympiahalle.

Muse appearances

• 2016-03-31
• 2015-05-29 (Rockavaria)
• 2012-11-12
• 2009-11-20

Venue

Olympiapark München GmbH
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21
Am Riesenfeld
80809 München, Bavaria
Germany

See also

• Olympiapark website