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 Interactive map of Blue Water Arena | |
| Former names | Esbjerg Idrætspark Esbjerg Stadion (1955–2007) |
|---|---|
| Location | Gl. Vardevej 62 6700Esbjerg |
| Coordinates | 55°28′55″N8°26′22″E / 55.481985°N 8.43941°E /55.481985; 8.43941 |
| Owner | Esbjerg Municipality |
| Operator | Sport & Event Park Esbjerg |
| Capacity | 16,942[1] |
| Record attendance | 22,000 (Esbjerg fB vs.KB, 1961) |
| Field size | 105 x 68 m |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1955 (original site 1929) |
| Opened | 1955 |
| Renovated | 1999, 2004, 2009 |
| Construction cost | 105,000,000DKK[nb 1] |
| Architect | Friis & Moltke[nb 1] |
| Structural engineer | Grontmij Carl Bro[nb 1] |
| General contractor | Davidsen Partnere[nb 1] |
| Tenants | |
| Esbjerg fB (1955–present) European Youth Olympic Festival (1999) | |
TheEsbjerg Stadium (Danish:Esbjerg Stadion), known as theBlue Water Arena for sponsorship reasons, is afootball stadium located within Esbjerg Idrætspark inEsbjerg, Denmark. It is the home ground ofEsbjerg fB and has a capacity of 16,942, of which 11,451 is seated. It is currently the second-biggest stadium inJutland, and the fourth-biggest in Denmark.
The Esbjerg Idrætspark was founded in 1926 and the football pitch, with a running track and area for shot put, high jump, pole vault and long jump, opened on 22 September 1929. In 1948, the adjacentEsbjerg Atletikstadion was constructed and opened.[2] During 1951, the reconstruction of the football stadium began but the municipality ran out of funds and the project stopped. In 1955, a new grandstand was built and the new stadium was inaugurated.[2]
In 1999, the stadium was venue of the football tournament at theEuropean Youth Olympic Festival.
On account of the2008 UEFA qualifier fan attack resulting in the forbidding of play of UEFA qualifier matches forDenmark within 250 km ofCopenhagen, the Esbjerg Stadium was mentioned as the only possible venue withinDenmark in which Denmark UEFA qualifier home games can be held as it is the biggest stadium in the country more than 250 km from Copenhagen. UEFA later changed the verdict, and on July 9, 2007 theDanish Football Association announced that the games againstSpain andLiechtenstein would be played inÅrhus and the games againstLatvia andIceland would be played in Copenhagen.
Esbjerg Stadium has twice been used as home ground for theDanish national team. Further it has been venue of several youth national matches:[3]
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