Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk | |
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 Interactive map of Gdańsk Stadium | |
| Full name | Stadion Gdańsk |
|---|---|
| Former names | Baltic Arena (during construction) PGE Arena Gdańsk (2010–2015) Arena Gdańsk (UEFA Euro 2012) Stadion w Gdańsku Letnicy (2015) Stadion Energa Gdańsk (2015–2020) Stadion w Gdańsku Letnicy (2020–2021) Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk (2021–present) |
| Location | ul. Pokoleń Lechii Gdańsk 1, 80-560Gdańsk,Poland |
| Coordinates | 54°23′24″N18°38′25″E / 54.39000°N 18.64028°E /54.39000; 18.64028 |
| Public transit |  Gdańsk Stadion Expo |
| Owner | City of Gdańsk |
| Operator | Arena Gdańsk Operator Sp. z o.o. |
| Capacity | 41,620 |
| Record attendance | 52,500 (Ed Sheeran -+–=÷× Tour, 12 & July 2024) |
| Field size | 105 × 68 metres |
| Surface | Field (Grass) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2008 |
| Built | 2008–2011 |
| Opened | 14 August 2011 |
| Construction cost | PLN zł 863 million[1] EUR € 204 million |
| Architect | RKW Rhode Kellermann Wawrowsky |
| Project manager | Krzysztof Czarnecki |
| Structural engineer | Bollinger+Grohmann |
| Tenants | |
| Lechia Gdańsk (2011–present) Poland national football team (selected matches) Poland women's national football team (2024–present)
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| Website | |
| polsatplusarenagdansk.pl | |
TheGdańsk Stadium (Polish:Stadion Gdańsk), known for sponsorship reasons as thePolsat Plus Arena Gdańsk since May 2021,[2] is afootballstadium inGdańsk,Pomeranian Voivodeship,Poland. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium ofLechia Gdańsk, which competes in theEkstraklasa, and thePoland women's national football team. The stadium is located at the 1 Pokoleń Lechii Gdańsk Street (English:Generations of Lechia Gdańsk) in the northern part of the city (Letnica district).[3] The total capacity is 41,620 spectators, all seated and roofed. The stadium is the second largest arena inEkstraklasa and the third largest in the country (after theStadion Narodowy and theStadion Śląski).[4]
Construction of the stadium started in 2008 and was completed mid-2011.[5] The opening match was between Lechia Gdańsk and Cracovia and ended in a 1–1 draw.[6] Its first international match was betweenPoland andGermany, on 6 September 2011 that ended 2–2. The match was relocated fromWarsaw since theStadion Narodowy was not ready. It has been used by Lechia Gdańsk since 'the White-and-Green' relocated there from theGdańsk Sports Center Stadium.
The stadium was also one of the designated venues for the finals ofUEFA Euro 2012. It hosted four matches during the tournament; three matches in Group C and one quarter-final match were played there.[7] It was originally scheduled to host the2020 UEFA Europa League Final.[8] However, following theCOVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the final was postponed and later rescheduled to August at theRheinEnergieStadion inGermany behind closed doors; Gdańsk hosted the2021 final instead.[9]Villarreal won the match, defeatingManchester United 11–10 on the penalty shootout after the game ended in a 1–1 draw.
The stadium measures some 236 metres long, 203 metres wide and 45 metres high.
The arena's exterior is designed to resembleamber which has long been extracted on theBaltic coast. Whole roof construction is based on 82 girders. Roof structure has a total area of 44 000 m2. The facade and the roof are covered with 18 000 plates ofpolycarbonate multiwall sheet, in 6 shades, with a total area of 4.5 hectares. Two logos (placed on the western and eastern side of the stadium), are made inLED technology, with a height of 8 meters and length of 35 meters.[10]
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The pitch has dimensions of 105x68 meters, and its distance from the grandstand is 10.5 m behind the goals, and 8.5 m from the sidelines.[11] The grandstands under the standards of FIFA and UEFA are covered, the center which is hovering over the field however will be uncovered. The issue of installing a sliding roof was considered, but the idea was abandoned due to costs and limited time to complete the construction. Remaining space is reserved for the other participants of the event (staff, etc.). The stadium meets the criteria forUEFA Category 4.
Stadium capacity is 43,615 seats during league matches. However the total number of seats (gross) is approximately 44,000. During theUEFA European Football Championship in 2012 capacity was reduced to approximately 40 000 seats.[12]
At the stadium there are 40 boxes behind glass where full catering is provided (so-called sky-boxes). Eight of them have an area of 60 m2 (646 ft2) and the remaining 32 have an area of 30 m2 (323 ft2).[11] In addition to the sky-boxes, stadium offers 1383 seats of higher standard (VIP places) for the more affluent guests. Each of them is equipped with a comfortable seat and located just below the sky-boxes. Both sky-boxes and VIP places have a separate entrance with dedicated foyer.[13]
The seats were provided byPolish companyForum Seating belonging to theNowy Styl Group located inKrosno.[14] Moreover, the stadium has 50 extra seats for disabled persons.
In December 2009, the stadium's name was purchased by thePolish Energy Group (PGE) for 35 millionzłoty (about 8.5 millioneuro) for a duration of five years.[15] The city of Gdańsk sold the naming rights in order to cover some of the costs of its construction. The only stipulation was that the name must include the word "Arena". The oil companyLotos and power company PGE were the final competitors for the sponsorship contract which also includes the display of the firm's logo in at least two locations at the top of the stadium, along with internal advertisements. The stadium was originally known as theBaltic Arena. The contract with PGE ended, however, on 30 September 2015, after PGE chose not to renew the contract.[16] On 9 November 2015Energa SA was revealed as the new stadium's sponsor until 2020. On 7 November 2020, The management board of Arena Gdańsk Operator sp.z o.o. announced the end of cooperation with Energa SA.[17] From 21 May 2021, the stadium is calledPolsat Plus Arena Gdańsk. The city's contract with the media and telecommunications companiesPolsat andPlus was concluded for 6 years.[2]
On 20 January 2012 after several months of preparation, a special club bar named T29 Sports Bar & Restaurant was opened to the public. The venue's name is in reference tothe previous Lechia Gdańsk stadium's address:Traugutta 29. Its interior design draws on events from the club's history. The most distinctive parts of the design are twomurals located opposite to each other on the sidewalls of the venue. Both paintings show an artistic interpretation of the panorama of the old Lechia stadium. T29 Sports Bar & Restaurant is situated in the north part of the stadium, just below the visiting team's supporters sector. The pub is a two-level construction with the total area of 800m2. There are 39' TV sets located on both stories of the venue. Every match of Lechia Gdańsk and other important sports events (incl. matches of PolishEkstraklasa) are broadcast there every day. T29 Sports Bar & Restaurant is open for the visitors 7 days a week.[18][19]
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The stadium was built specifically for the UEFA European Football Championship, which was held in 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. The first conceptual design of the stadium has been presented by the city of Gdańsk before the tournament host's choice.[20] On 31 January 2008 architect who had designed the stadium was selected. It was a company of Rhode-Kellermann-Wawrowsky fromDüsseldorf, which designed such stadiums likeVeltins-Arena inGelsenkirchen and theAWD-Arena inHannover.[21] First part of construction documents were consisted of 92 volumes and the second one included next 137 volumes. Stadium specialistHPP Architects from Düsseldorf also contributed to the design development.
On 2 April 2008, work began on preparing the ground for the construction of the stadium, including liquidation of allotments, felling of trees and shrubs.[22] On 15 December 2008 work started on the ground exchange and density of land for the construction of the stadium.[11]
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The official opening of the offers from companies willing to build new stadium took place on 25 March 2009. The offers prices varies form about 522 mln zł to 635 mln zł. Two days later a contract with the company who introduced the cheapest offer was signed. It was a consortium of companies: Hydrobudowa Polska S.A, Hydrobudowa 9, Alpine Bau Deutschland AG Berlin, Alpine Bau GmbH Austria, Alpine Construction Polska Sp. z o.o.[23]
On 28 May 2009 when the main construction began.[24] In mid-July the cornerstone was laid.[25] Within the next year main steel and concrete structure was completed and the ceremony of topping out took place at 24 July 2010.
The original date of completion of the stadium was the end of 2010. On 9 June 2011, a match between the national teams of Poland andFrance was planned.[26] Due to security reasons, the match was moved to Warsaw.[27]
The stadium was opened at 19 July 2011.[28] The first official football event on PGE Arena Gdańsk, as the Gdańsk City Stadium was then known, took place on 14 August 2011. The match betweenLechia Gdańsk andCracovia ended in 1–1 draw and the first goalscorer at the new stadium wasFred Benson.[29]
The stadium is located in the northern part of the city, across theMartwa Wisła River, in theLetnica district. The main entrance is located on the side of newly createdul. Pokoleń Lechii Gdańsk (Generations of Lechia Gdańsk street).
Main roads that leading to the stadium are theul. Marynarki Polskiej ("Polish Navy street") and theul. Uczniowska. Getting to the stadium is easily possible by public transport, mainly due to tram lines # 7, 10 leading to tram stopsMostostal andStadion or bus lines # 158, 283 leading to the bus stopStadion. Selected courses of bus line # 158 stop along Generations of Lechia Gdańsk street on bus stopsAmberExpo andWęzeł Harfa. In match days there are additional tram courses for the football fans.
Moreover, on every match day, special free of chargeSKM (Fast Urban Railway) line leads fromGdańsk Główny railway station toGdańsk Stadium Expo station located near the stadium. This line was modernized especially for theUEFA European Football Championship in 2012. It has been used for the first time, before and after the Ekstraklasa match between Lechia Gdańsk andLegia Warszawa which took place on May 3, 2012. This line is also available for passengers in the days when the trade exhibition takes place in the new headquarters of the MTG SA Gdańsk International Fair Co. located next to the Gdańsk City Stadium.[30]
The stadium was one of the venues for theUEFA Euro 2012. The three group C matches involvingSpain were played there (with the other matches in that group played atCity Stadium, Poznań), as well as one quarterfinal. During the finals, it was known as the 'Arena Gdansk' for sponsorship reasons.
The following matches were played at the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2012:
| Date | Time (CEST) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June 2012 | 18:00 |  Spain | 1–1 |  Italy | Group C | Antonio Di Natale61' Cesc Fàbregas64' |
| 14 June 2012 | 20:45 | 4–0 |  Republic of Ireland | Fernando Torres4',70' David Silva49' Cesc Fàbregas83' | ||
| 18 June 2012 | 20:45 |  Croatia | 0–1 | Spain | Jesús Navas88' | |
| 22 June 2012 | 20:45 |  Germany | 4–2 |  Greece | Quarter-finals | Philipp Lahm39' Georgios Samaras55' Sami Khedira61' Miroslav Klose68' Marco Reus74' Dimitris Salpingidis89' (pen.) |
So far,Poland national football team has played 10 matches in the arena. The stadium's opening match was due to be played against theFrench on 9 June 2011, but was moved to theStadion Wojska Polskiego, as the stadium wasn't fully prepared. Instead, the match againstGermany, which had been scheduled to be played at theStadion Narodowy was moved to Gdansk (due to the fact that the stadium inWarsaw wasn't complete). In the first game for stakes played in Gdańsk, Poland drew 0–0 with Italy on 11 October 2020.
| Nr | Competition | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Scorers for Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Friendly | 6 September 2011 | Germany | 2–2 | 38,000 | Robert Lewandowski,Jakub Błaszczykowski |
| 2 | 14 November 2012 |  Uruguay | 1–3 | 39,460 | Ludovic Obraniak | |
| 3 | 14 August 2013 |  Denmark | 3–2 | 34,952 | Mateusz Klich,Waldemar Sobota,Piotr Zieliński | |
| 4 | 6 June 2014 |  Lithuania | 2–1 | 33,074 | Arkadiusz Milik,Robert Lewandowski | |
| 5 | 16 June 2015 | Greece | 0–0 | 37,192 | ––– | |
| 6 | 1 June 2016 |  Netherlands | 1–2 | 40,392 | Artur Jędrzejczyk | |
| 7 | 13 November 2017 |  Mexico | 0–1 | 32,736 | ––– | |
| 8 | 15 November 2018 |  Czech Republic | 0–1 | 23,851 | ––– | |
| 9 | 7 October 2020 |  Finland | 5–1 | 3,000[31] | Kamil Grosicki (3),Krzysztof Piątek,Arkadiusz Milik | |
| 10 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League | 11 October 2020 | Italy | 0–0 | 7,000[32] | ––– |
On 17 September 2021, Stadion Gdańsk hosted its first game played by thePoland women's national football team, a2023 FIFA World Cup qualification match againstBelgium. A 1–1 draw was spectated by 8,011 people, breaking the then-record for the highest attendance during thebiało-czerwone's home fixture.[33]
In August 2024, thePolish Football Association signed a three-year deal with the stadium's owners and operators to establish it as the home venue of the Poland women's team.[34]
| Nr | Competition | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Scorers for Poland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 FIFA World Cup qualification | 17 September 2021 |  Belgium | 1–1 | 8,011 | Ewa Pajor |
| 2 | UEFA Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs | 29 October 2024 |  Romania | 4–1 | 8,449 | Ewa Pajor (2),Natalia Padilla,Nadia Krezyman |
| 3 | 29 November 2024 |  Austria | 1–0 | 7,025 | Natalia Padilla | |
| 4 | 2025 UEFA Nations League | 21 February 2025 |  Northern Ireland | 2–0 | 2,700 | Ewelina Kamczyk,Adriana Achcińska |
| 5 | 4 April 2025 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5–1 | 5,027 | Ewa Pajor (2),Adriana Achcińska,Klaudia Słowińska,Martyna Wiankowska | |
| 6 | 3 June 2025 | Romania | 3–0 | 10,685 | Ewelina Kamczyk (2),Paulina Tomasiak | |
| 7 | Friendly | 24 October 2025 | Netherlands | 0–0 | 11,022 |
| Concerts at Gdańsk City Stadium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Artist | Tour | Attendance |
| 27 September 2012 | Jennifer Lopez | Dance Again World Tour | 34,068 |
| 19 June 2013 | Bon Jovi | Because We Can | 31,167 |
| 19 August 2014 | Justin Timberlake | The 20/20 Experience World Tour | 40,794[35] |
| 15 July 2016 | Avicii,Felix Jaehn, Modestep,Tom Swoon, Warson, Widenski, & Mafia Mike | Music Power Explosion | 24,000 |
| 20 June 2017 | Guns N' Roses | Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 40,571 |
| 4 June 2022 | Dawid Podsiadło | 40,000 | |
| 12–13 July 2024 | Ed Sheeran | +–=÷× Tour | 104,804 |
| Religious conventions at Gdańsk City Stadium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Religious denomination | Title | Attendance |
| 9–11 August 2019 | Jehovah's Witnesses | “Love Never Fails”! Convention | 14,410[36][37][38] |
Along initial design by Rhode-Kellermann-Wawrowsky, all seats were to create a mosaic of yellow and orange in various tones, which was to match the 'amber' facades and roof. However, after the final proposed layout was presented, Lechia Gdansk supporters launched a protest to block the move. As they argued, the stadium should be associated with their club's colours, not those of the arch-rivalArka Gdynia, who aren't tenants at the stadium. In a move to satisfy these claims, architects were asked to rethink the colors and came up with various tones of green. This was accepted by supporters and stayed intact with the overall concept as amber can also be greenish (though not usually found on Polish shores, more common in the Caribbean).[39] Later, in October 2012, some seats were also painted white to read "LECHIA GDAŃSK" in order to allow fans to identify with the venue more.
In July 2012, the stadium became Poland's only (and probably one of very few worldwide) to have bananas on the list of items prohibited inside.[40] The decision was made by Lechia Gdansk safety manager in order to prevent racist incidents. In April of that year, two black players of Lechia had bananas thrown at them.
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| Preceded by | UEFA Europa League Final venue 2021 | Succeeded by |
