Euro 2012 Host Cities in Poland: Stadiums and Fan Zones - practical information
The National Stadium, Warsaw
The National Stadium will be the venue for:
- three group matches
Poland - Greece, Friday, 8 June, kick-off 6 p.m.
Poland - Russia, Tuesday, 12 June, kick-off 8.45 p.m.
Greece - Russia, Saturday, 16 June, kick-off 8.45 p.m.
- one quarter-final
A1-B2, Thursday, 21 June, kick-off 8.45 p.m.
- one semi-final
winner, quarter-final 2 - winner, quarter-final 4,
Thursday, 28 June, kick-off 8.45 p.m.
The state-of-the-art National Stadium was built from scratch especially for the EURO 2012 championships. Situated on the right bank of the Vistula river, on the site of its predecessor, the post-war Tenth Anniversary Stadium (Stadion Dziesięciolecia), it will be the venue for three group matches, including the official opening ceremony and opening match, as well as one quarter-final and one of the semi-finals. Its facade, which is lluminated at dusk, is designed to resemble a rippling flag in red and white, the Polish national colours. The open structure of the exterior elevation allows natural ventilation and daylight into the interior. The heated pitch is covered with a retractable glass roof, and four large relay screens (each 54 m˛) offer improved visibility to fans seated higher up in the stands. The stadium can be reached from the city centre in 5-10 minutes by the Rapid Urban Railway (Szybka Kolej Miejska, Warszawa Stadion stop), as well as by city bus and tram services. A dedicated metro station on a new line is scheduled to open in 2013. There is a direct bus service from Warsaw's Chopin Airport to the stadium, taking around 30 minutes. The National Stadium, at about € 450 million Poland's biggest sporting investment ahead of EURO 2012, also has a fully fitted modern conference centre ccommodating 1,600, and another similar but smaller facility for 300. The nine levels of this vast complex incorporate a total of 25,000 m of office and commercial space, four restaurants, including one 40 metres above the Vistula with a view of the Old Town, a fitness club, a multi-faith chapel, and a "fan pub" licensed for several hundred people.
In the immediate vicinity of the stadium is the 58-hectare Ignacy Jan Paderewski Memorial Skaryszewski Park, founded at the beginning of the 20th century in the spirit of Art Nouveau and modernism. This green space features over 300 species of trees and shrubs, paths running the perimeter of Kamionkowski Lake and the other smaller water features, and, in a separate, dedicated area, a range of sports and recreation facilities.
How to get there:
from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the city centre: bus services 175, 188 and N32 (night bus). From the centre, e.g. from Warszawa Śródmieście railway station, to the National Stadium: rapid urban railway (SKM), trams 8, 9, 22, 24 and 25, buses 102, 111, 158, 166, 507, 517, 521 and night buses N22 and N24.
Information about the National Stadium in Poland:
Designed by: a consortium of JSK Architekci sp. z o.o.,
gmp International GmbH, and Schlaich Bergermann und Partner
Construction period: October 2008?December 2011
Capacity: 58,000 seats
Stadium dimensions: 259 x 227 x 50 metres (plus 70-metre high needle)
Roof area: 64,800 m
VIP boxes: 69 (800 seats) plus 900 spaces for the media
Business-class seating: 2,000
Fan Pub: 1,800 m˛
Seats for the disabled: 106
Gastro outlets: 30
Cash desks: 135
Parking spaces: cars - 1,758, coaches - 450
Fan Zone in Warsaw
Even the National Stadium cannot accommodate all the fans who want to watch the matches, whether at the group, quarter-final or semi-final stages. So a Fan Zone has been designated that will be able to accommodate over 100,000 more people at any one time. Its location is the city-centre Defilad Square (Plac Defilad), around the unmissable Palace of Culture and Science, where a space of 120,000 m has been given over for two stages, eight huge relay screens, several small gastro outlets (7,000 m˛ in all), sanitation facilities comprising 400 toilets and washbasins, 40 professional first aid patrols, and stationary medical points. Aside from its superb central location (public transport can carry 158,000 people here every hour!) and its proximity to the National Stadium itself, Defilad Square is a tried and tested traditional venue for mass events catering to hundreds of thousands of participants. On match days it will be patrolled by over 1,000 security personnel. Fan Zone Warsaw will open the day before the first match, i.e. on 7 June 2012, and close its doors on 2 July, the day after the final in Kyiv. On match days the Fan Zone will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 a.m., and on other days from 10 a.m. till 1 a.m.
PGE Arena Gdansk, Gdańsk
PGE Arena Gdansk will host:
three group matches
Spain - Italy, Sunday, 10 June, 6 p.m.
Spain - Ireland, Thursday, 14 June, 8.45 p.m.
Croatia - Spain, Monday, 18 June, 8.45 p.m.
- one quarter-final
B1 - C2, Friday, 22 June, 8.45 p.m.
Built specially for Euro 2012, PGE Arena Gdansk is in the port district of Letnica, at the centre of the urban riangle formed by the Old Town, the shipyards and the airport. This ensures ease of access from all parts of Gdansk and the rest of the Tri-City, whether by car, bus, tram or the SKM Rapid Urban Railway. The architects' inspiration for the original external shell of the stadium (the façade is clad in 18,000 dyed polycarbonate tiles) was amber, for centuries the natural treasure of the Baltic coast. Sound and image are covered, with 308 loudspeakers with a combined power consumption of 195,000 watts and four 70 m relay screens. Like most similar arenas, PGE Arena Stadium Gdansk is a multifunctional complex: aside from its sports and events facilities it also comprises business, conference, leisure and entertainment centres. It meets all UEFA's most stringent safety standards, while offering the full range of spectator conveniences (including 40 glazed-in VIP boxes and business suites with separate entrances), disabled access, professional facilities for players, and state-of-the-art equipment for other mass events, making it one of Europe's top-of-the-range elite sporting facilities. One unique addition is the skate track around the stadium, which is linked into the system of cycle paths running along the sea front. Further development in the immediate vicinity of the PGE Arena Stadium is to include new exhibition halls for the Gdansk International Fair.
How to get there:
from Gdansk airport to the city centre and the main train station (Dworzec Główny PKP): bus services 210, 110, N3 (night service). From the centre to PGE Arena Gdansk: trams 3 and 5 or buses 118 and 154.
Information about PGE Arena Gdansk:
Designed by: RKW (Rhode-Kellermann-Wawrowsky)
of Düsseldorf
Main tenant: Lechia Gdansk football club
Construction period: 2008?September 2011
Capacity: 42,000 seats
Stadium dimensions: 236 x 203 x 45 m
Roof area: 44,000 m
VIP boxes: 40
Business-class seating: 1,383
Fan Pub: 970 m˛
Gastro outlets: 24
Cash desks: 113
Parking spaces: cars - 2,171, coaches - 74
Fan Zone in Gdańsk
For all those who cannot get seats at the stadium but want to watch the matches together, in an organised, marshalled area, Gdansk has a Fan Zone on Zebrań Ludowych Square, close to the main route through the city and the main railway station. It will be open three hours before kick-off on match days and will accommodate up to 30,000 people. Its main feature will be the stage, which will be used to organise all kinds of accompanying events and will be the backdrop for the biggest of the three relay screens (120 m2) showing the championship matches live. If the Fan Zone at Zebrań Ludowych Square proves too small, the city is also considering setting up smaller live viewing zones at Targ Węglowy, in the vicinity of the pier at Brzeźno, and outside the Baltic Philharmonic.
Poznan City Stadium, Poznań
The City Stadium in Poznan will host
- three group matches:
Ireland - Croatia, Sunday, 10 June, 8.45 p.m.
Italy - Croatia, Thursday, 14 June, 6 p.m.
Italy - Ireland, Monday, 18 June, 8.45 p.m.
The impressive white arc of the City Stadium, the height of an 18-storey building, is clearly visible from the windows of aeroplanes coming in to land. The stadium, on Bułgarska Street in the Poznan district of Grunwald Południe, was the first of Poland's stadiums for EURO 2012 to be completed. It did not have to be built from scratch, however, though it underwent major renovation, and the new facility was opened on 20 September 2010 with a gala concert by Sting. The alterations to the stands, which seat over 42,000, included
installation of a natural silk-coloured membrane roof supported on a 7,000-tonne steel skeleton. In addition to comfortable spectator seating, the stadium offers VIP boxes and business-class accommodation, as well as areas for the disabled and a professional media zone. Improved visibility at matches and other events is guaranteed by Poland's two largest relay screens (each 116-m˛ screen is composed of 120 LED displays), and the stadium?s lighting system meets HD transmission standards. Access to the stadium is by e-ticket. Security at the stadium is guaranteed by independent sources of power (two autonomous power lines and two generators) and cameras installed both inside and outside the building.
Catering outlets at the stadium range from two restaurants, through bars and cafés, to other food stands. It is a multi-purpose facility with amenities including SPA treatment rooms, a climbing wall, sports shops and a fitness club. The building itself meets stringent ecological norms - for instance it is fitted with underwater rainwater tanks for use in watering the turf and the ornamental plants.
How to get there :
from both Poznan Ławica airport and the main railway station there is excellent public transport ? trams no. 1 (Junikowo-Zawady), 6 (Budziszyńska?Miłostowo), 13 (Junikowo?Starołęka) and 15 (Budziszyńska?os. Jana III Sobieskiego), and buses A, 50, 63 and 91.
Information about City Stadium in Poznań:
Operator: a consortium of the sports club KKS Lech Poznań and
Marcelin Management
Opening date: 1980
Alterations completed: September 2010
Stadium dimensions: 220 x 213 x 56 metres
Total capacity: 42,000
VIP boxes: 45
Business-class seating: 1,100
Seats for the disabled: 266
Gastro outlets: 27, with 221 stands
Parking spaces: on the stadium premises - 200 coaches / 1,400
cars; in the vicinity - 400 coaches / 6,000 cars
Fan Zone in Poznań
In line with UEFA requirements, Poznan has a designated Fan Zone in the city centre, on Wolności Square (by Marcinkowskiego Ave.). It is to be open from 8 June to 1 July 2012, daily from 2 p.m. until midnight, and on Poznan match days from midday until 2 a.m. The greenery and other decorative elements on the square (monuments and fountains) have been suitably protected, but not hidden - they are to form an integral part of the setting. The championship matches will be broadcast on four relay screens, three ranged along Marcinkowskiego Avenue and the fourth - and at 100 m˛ the largest - on a podium at the apex of Wolności Square. Outside match fixtures the podium will be used as a stage for live performances and the screen to show films. Two stands in front of the stage provide seating for 1,000, with a special 185-m, platform for disabled fans. There are also plans for numerous food outlets, medical points and information stands, sponsors? outlets, a press centre, a VIP zone, and a security coordination centre.
Wroclaw City Stadium, Wrocław
Wroclaw stadium is to host
three group fixtures:
Russia - Czech Republic, Friday, 8 June, 8.45 p.m.
Greece - Czech Republic, Tuesday, 12 June, 6 p.m.
Poland - Czech Republic, Saturday, 16 June, 8.45 p.m.
This stadium, built to accommodate 44,000, was built from scratch ahead of EURO 2012 in the north-western part of the city in Maślice, in the Fabryczna district. Just 15 minutes drive from the city centre and from Wroclaw international airport, and directly adjacent to the motorway skirting the city, it is easy to reach from every direction. Wroclaw's highly developed public transport system, rail network and integrated car/coach parking will ensure that both individuals and groups of fans have no difficulty reaching the stadium. The esplanade all around the building aids free movement of people from the integrated rail/tram stop zone into the stands. The designers at JSK Architekci (also part of the consortium that designed the National Stadium in Warsaw) have given the city an outstandingly innovative stadium in the style of a beacon: steel rings encompassing the building support a translucent, teflon-coated fibreglass mesh integrated with a special lighting technology to create a variable external multicolour illumination system. This façade masks the reinforced concrete single-storey 56-row stands and the four bean-shaped satellite buildings. The amount of natural light reaching the stadium interior is augmented by the partially glazed roof. The spectator experience is enhanced by two 100-m˛ relay screens and a 372,000-watt sound system. The multipurpose stadium combines sporting, performance, entertainment, business, conference and even trade-fair and exhibition functions; its state-of-the-art infrastructure meets UEFA's highest level of requirements (category four). The 3,000-m2 main Business Club has its own restaurant and VIP lounge. The multifunctional, glazed boxes and incentive bays (each seating 12 or 24, and with retractable walls to accommodate larger groups where necessary) have direct access to external balconies overlooking the pitch, immediately adjacent to the VIP stands. The integrated computer system allows card transactions throughout the grounds. All facilities (in the stands, bars, toilets, etc.) are accessible by the disabled.
How to get there:
from the airport to Wrocław city centre (outside the main railway station, Dworzec Główny PKP): bus service 406 or 249 at night. From the centre to the City Stadium at Śląska Avenue in Pilczyce: buses 103, 128, 403 and 435 or trams 3, 10 and 22. From Wrocław Główny railway station there is also a rail link to Wrocław Pracze station, and from there bus 103.
Information about Wrocław City Stadium:
Designed by: a consortium of JSK Architekci Sp. z o.o.
Main tenant: Slask Wroclaw Football Club
Stadium operator: SMG Polska, a member of the American
consortium SMG, one of the three biggest groups in this
category in the world
Construction period: 2009?2011
Stadium dimensions: 272 x 224 x 39.33 m
No. of storeys: 6
Capacity: 44,308 seats, covered, incl. 42,771 for regular fans
VIP accommodation (Gold, Silver, Bronze, in the west and
east sectors): 2,130
VIP boxes - 20, incentive bays - 10
Catering on the promenades: total length of bar areas on
the promenades: 290 m
Parking: extensive, including a four-storey car park adjacent
to the stadium
Fan Zone in Wrocław
For fans who can't be at the games, the city has a number of Fan Zones with relay screens and all the other necessities to get people in the mood and make the shared match experience an unforgettable one. This includes catering and sanitation facilities, of course. The central Zone, for around 40,000, is on the Market Square (Rynek) and Salt Square (the adjacent plac Solny). If any of the matches in Wroclaw attract large numbers of incoming fans, further live viewing space will be made available, at venues including the Pola Marsowe, Centennial Hall, or the Śląsk football stadium at Oporowska Street.
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