€120m earmarked for Düsseldorf venue improvements

The German city of Düsseldorf is investing €120 million in improving its live music infrastructure over the next four years, it has been announced.

Germany’s seventh-largest city is home to the 66,500-cap Merkur Spiel-Arena, which is being systematically remodelled in a €60m scheme by 2029 to meet current and future requirements for multifunctional stadiums.

The revamp will include the installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof of the venue with an area of over 7,000 m². Other measures include the complete new construction of the MERKUR Business Club, expanded 360° LED perimeter board technology, the conversion of the public catering area and a new wayfinding system.

Meanwhile, €11m has been set aside for new 80,000-cap “plug-and-play” venue Open Air Park Düsseldorf, which will launch this July with a concert by AC/DC. The site, which is being developed with a complete permanent infrastructure for electricity, water and waste water supply, promises to elevate North Rhine-Westphalia as a top-tier touring option alongside Berlin and Munich.

In addition, the listed Rheinterrasse events venue is being future-proofed with a planned investment of in excess of €12m. The measures include design and technical optimisation, repairs, a redesign of the event technology and “pioneering” energy management. A completely new brand identity is also being developed.

“No other location in Germany is so committed to developing existing venues – whether clubs, arenas, stadiums or open-air spaces – in order to remain competitive in the international live entertainment and sports market and attract top events in the long term,” says Michael Brill, CEO of operator D.LIVE. “In this way, we will be able to meet the changing demands on the visitor experience and production conditions and continue to guarantee that Düsseldorf remains a leading location for top-class sports, music and cultural events in Europe.”

“With these investments, Düsseldorf is sending a clear signal for the future of live entertainment”

Other Düsseldorf venues will also be developed further, with the PSD Bank Dome (cap. 15,000), Mitsubishi Electric Halle (7,500) and Castello Düsseldorf (4,000) set to benefit from investments “to optimise their technical equipment, the customer journey and sustainability standards”.

“With these investments, Düsseldorf is sending a clear signal for the future of live entertainment,” says Düsseldorf city director and D.LIVE supervisory board chairman Burkhard Hintzsche. “The continuous development of the venues ensures that we offer ideal conditions for top international events as well as for regional event concepts. These measures are a crucial step towards making Düsseldorf even more attractive as a leading event location and attracting further top-class events.”

Elsewhere in Germany, plans for a new arena in Munich have taken another step forward after being presented to the city’s planning and design advisory committee. The committee, which is an official part of the approval process, praised the current planning and gave its consent and support to continue with the project.

Bavaria-based developer SWMunich will build and operate the proposed 20,000-cap Freising venue, backed by more than €300 million of private sector investment.

“The positive response from the Design Advisory Board encourages us in our endeavours to create a concert arena that meets the highest standards,” says Munich Arena managing partner Lorenz Schmid. “The advisory board’s suggestions will flow directly into the further development of the Munich Arena concert arena to make it an enrichment for Freising and the region.”

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