Cologne’s LANXESS arena has once again underlined its position as one of Europe’s leading multi-purpose arenas in 2025. Following an already historic year in 2024, the venue succeeded in surpassing its own records yet again, setting new benchmarks with a highly diversified event portfolio.
Even higher demand – more than 2.6 million visitors
By the end of the 2025 season, the LANXESS arena recorded more than 2.6 million visitors across approximately 208 events, marking a new all-time attendance record. Compared to the previous record year of 2024, which attracted over 2.4 million guests, this represents a significant further increase.
These figures highlight not only the strong appeal of Cologne as an event destination, but also the arena’s competitiveness on a national and international level. Even before the final evaluation, the LANXESS arena is once again ranked among Germany’s top multi-purpose venues and continues to be part of the absolute top tier in Europe and worldwide.
Diverse event portfolio as a key success factor
The renewed surge in visitor numbers is the result of a strategically balanced and diverse event mix. Sports, concerts and entertainment formats all contributed equally to the record performance:
- Sports events: High-profile matches of the Cologne Sharks ice hockey team, currently attracting an average of around 18,000 spectators per home game, alongside other major national sports events.
- Music and concerts: International superstars such as Drake, Billie Eilish (two sold-out shows), Hans Zimmer, Volbeat and André Rieu filled the arena to capacity.
- Carnival and entertainment: The traditional Lachende Kölnarena benefited from the extensive opening of the upper tier for the first time, welcoming more than 250,000 carnival revellers.
In total, the program included 48 sports events, 76 concerts, 81 entertainment shows as well as additional corporate events – a clear demonstration of how the arena strategically addresses a wide range of target groups.
Strategic importance for Cologne and the region
Arena CEO Stefan Löcher described the new record as “incredible,” emphasizing the arena’s strong impact on Cologne’s event landscape, tourism sector and local economy. The LANXESS arena is regarded as a key economic driver, generating positive effects for hospitality, gastronomy and tourism-related services throughout the region.
Outlook for 2026
The event calendar for 2026 is already well filled. International acts such as Jason Derulo, Eric Clapton and Raye have been confirmed, alongside major national productions and classical music events. In addition, 15 dates of the Lachende Kölnarena as well as high-profile sports events such as the EHF Final4 and the Lidl Final4 are scheduled, further strengthening the arena’s growth trajectory.