Two hours before the opening face-off, fans and visitors stream over from Deutz station, while a veritable flood of red Sharks jerseys pours across the plaza in front of the LANXESS arena: the Kölner Haie are playing at home.
Inside, the ice is already in place where, only the evening before, a concert stage often stood. At the “Henkelmännchen,” the transformation from one cultural sphere to another happens—quite literally—overnight. The action is about to begin. Want to be there? Make sure to secure tickets for home games as early as possible.
Shark Tank: cold ice, darkened stands
Once you have found your seat, it is worth looking up. Hanging above the rink is a piece of club history: eight jerseys displayed as honorary banners. These numbers were worn by Kölner Haie players who have shaped the club since its founding in 1972. They will never be assigned again.
The club and its fans simply call the arena the “Shark Tank”: up to 18,600 spectators sit and stand on steeply rising tiers packed close around the ice. The light is focused on the rink, while the stands remain in semi-darkness—an impressive effect unlike anything you know from a football stadium.
Three periods of pure excitement
Just before the game begins, the lights go out: the team takes to the ice through an inflatable shark’s mouth, accompanied by the club anthem, “Mer halde zesamme.” The puck is dropped—and it immediately gets loud: skates cut into the ice, sticks clash, and there is a dull thud whenever a player is checked into the boards. Meanwhile, the puck changes direction by the second. Pure excitement.
A deficit rarely lasts long here. Two minutes are enough to turn a game around. As a spectator, you cannot relax for even a moment. Don’t know the rules of ice hockey? No problem—your neighbour in the stands will explain them to you, even if you did not ask. After all, meeting people and exchanging ideas bring us together.
After the first and second 20-minute periods, the ice resurfacing machines make their rounds and the stands head for bratwurst and Kölsch beer. Naturally, a home game does not always end in victory. But it is celebrated all the same, because no one from Cologne would ever give up the good evening after a match or the shared sense of community in a diverse and inclusive city. With that attitude, every home game played by one of Cologne’s clubs is sure to be an exciting matchday—including those of 1. FC Köln, Fortuna Köln and Viktoria Köln.
Eligibility
Bad Weather Offer
Suitable for any Weather
Target Group Teenager
Target Group Adult
Target Group Family
Target Group the Elderly
for familys
for individual guests
