| Stadium Name: | Ernst Happel Stadion |
| Type: | UEFA Category 4 Stadium |
| Location: | Meiereistraße 7, Vienna, Austria |
| Broke Ground: | 1929 |
| Built: | 1929–1931 |
| Opened: | 11 July 1931 |
| Renovated: | 1986, 2008 |
| Owner: | City of Vienna |
| Operator: | Wiener Stadthalle Betriebs- und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H. |
| Surface: | Lawn |
| Construction Cost: | 39.6 million euros (conversion 2005-2008) |
| Architect: | Otto Ernst Schweizer |
| Former Names: | Praterstadion |
| Tenants: | Austria national football team |
| Capacity: | 50,865[1] (end-stage) 68,500 (center-stage) |
| Record Attendance: | (Austria vs. Spain, 30 October 1960) |
Ernst-Happel-Stadion, known as Praterstadion until 1992, sometimes also called Wiener-Stadion, is a football stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna. With 50,865 seats, it is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer. The stadium was renamed in honour of Austrian footballer Ernst Happel following his death in 1992. The stadium hosted seven games in UEFA Euro 2008, including the final which saw Spain triumph over Germany.
The stadium is owned by the City of Vienna (Municipal Department 51 – Sports of the City of Vienna). It is managed by the Wiener Stadthalle Betriebs und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H., a subsidiary of Wien Holding. It is a UEFA Category 4 stadium, and as such, it is the home of the Austria national football team. It also hosts the Viennese clubs' matches in UEFA competitions.
The stadium is served by Stadion station on the U2 metro line, 77A and 11A bus lines.
The foundation stone was laid in November 1928 in honor of the 10-year celebration of the Republic of Austria. The stadium was constructed in 23 months, from 1929 to 1931. It was built according to a design by the Tübingen architect Otto Ernst Schweizer and the second Workers' Olympiad. Schweizer also designed the adjacent Stadionbad (with 400,000 sq m, Europe's largest swimming pool). According to its location in Vienna's Prater, it was initially named Prater Stadium. It was a modern stadium at the time, particularly in Europe, because of its short discharge time of only 7 to 8 minutes. Initially the stadium had a capacity of approximately 60,000 people.
During the Nazi era, following Anschluss (1938–1945), the stadium was used as a military barracks and staging area and as a temporary prison for the deportation of Jewish citizens.[2] Between 11 and 13 September 1939, after the attack on Poland, over a thousand Polish-born Viennese Jews were detained on the orders of Reinhard Heydrich. They were imprisoned beneath the grandstands in the corridors of Section B. On 30 September, 1,038 prisoners were deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp. The next day, the stadium was back to being used as a football pitch. 44 men were released in early 1940, 26 were freed in 1945, the rest were murdered in the camps. In 1988, one of the surviving victims, Fritz Klein, was awarded compensation by the Austrian government equivalent to 62,50 euros for being detained in the stadium. In 2003 a memorial plaque, commemorating these events, was unveiled in the VIP area by a private initiative. In 1944, the stadium was severely damaged during a bomb attack on the Wehrmarcht Staff offices.
After the war and the reconstruction of the stadium, it was again sporting its original use. In 1956, the stadium's capacity was expanded to 92,708 people by Theodor Schull, but in 1965 the capacity was reduced. The attendance record was 90,726[3] spectators set on 30 October 1960 at the football match between Spain and Austria (0–3).
In 1970, the stadium was the venue of the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup Final which saw Manchester City F.C. beat Górnik Zabrze 2–1. Neil Young and a Francis Lee penalty sealed the win for City. This final was played under torrential rain in what was then an uncovered stadium. This along with the fact no Polish supporters were allowed to travel to the match restricted the attendance, which is variously reported at between 7,900 and 15,000 spectators.
In the 1980s, the stands were covered and fully equipped with seats. At its reopening a friendly match against archrival Germany was organised. Austria won the match 4–1. After the death of former Austrian top player and coach Ernst Happel (1925–1992), the Prater Stadium was renamed after him in 1992.In 1964, 1987, 1990, and 1995, the Ernst Happel Stadium was the venue of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final.
During the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, the Ernst Happel-Stadion hosted seven games (three group matches involving Austria, two quarter-finals, a semifinal match, and the Final match). In preparation for the tournament, the first and second place additional rows of seats increased the stadium's capacity to 53,000 seats.
Leading up to the tournament, it was fitted with a heated pitch in the summer of 2005. In May 2008, a connection to the Vienna U-Bahn was established, easing access from all over the city. The cost of the rebuilding was €39,600,000.
The following games were played at the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2008:
| Date | Time (CET) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Spectators | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 2008 | 18.00 | 0–1 | Group B | 51,428 | |||
| 12 June 2008 | 20.45 | 1–1 | 51,428 | ||||
| 16 June 2008 | 20.45 | 0–1 | 51,428 | ||||
| 20 June 2008 | 20.45 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (1–3 pen.) | Quarter-finals | 51,428 | |||
| 22 June 2008 | 20.45 | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) | 48,000 | ||||
| 26 June 2008 | 20.45 | 0–3 | Semi-final | 51,428 | |||
| 29 June 2008 | 20.45 | 0–1 | Final | 51,428 |
The Ernst Happel Stadium is the largest football stadium in Austria. It is the home of the Austria national football team. Club football matches are generally limited to the domestic cup final and international competitions featuring one of Vienna's top clubs, FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien, as their regular stadiums are too small to host UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. Vienna derby matches between FK Austria and SK Rapid have also been played in the stadium.
The stadium is rated one of UEFA's Five Star Stadiums permitting it to host the UEFA Champions League final. The seating capacity was temporarily expanded to 53,008[4] for the UEFA Euro 2008 championship, with the final played in the stadium. The stadium also hosted 3 group games, 2 quarter-final matches, a semi-final and final. The attendance record of 92,706 for the match against the Soviet Union was in 1960.[5] The capacity has since been reduced.
Internazionale 3–1 Real Madrid
Manchester City 2–1 Górnik Zabrze
Porto 2–1 Bayern Munich
Internazionale 1–0 Austria Salzburg
Ajax Amsterdam 1–0 Milan
Other sporting events are held in the stadium, including athletics, cycling and tennis. In 1950, 35,000[6] watched Austrian Josef Weidinger win the European Heavyweight crown against Stefan Olek (of France), and a temporary pool in the stadium was the venue for the 1995 European LC Championships.
During the 1950 and 1960s, motorcycle speedway took place at the stadium until the track was demolished.[7] Major events included the final of the 1963 Speedway World Team Cup.[8]
On 16 July 2011, the American Football World Championship final took place where USA defeated rivals Canada with a score of 50–7 in front of 20,000 spectators.
On 6 and 7 June 2014, the three games of the final stage of the 13th European Championship of American Football took place in this stadium. In the final 27,000 spectators saw Austria lose to Germany 30–27 in double overtime.[9]
The stadium was scheduled to host Taylor Swift's Eras Tour for three shows from 8-10 August 2024. The shows were canceled out of caution on 7 August by its organiser after the revelation of a terror plot targeting the shows.[10]
| Date | Artist | Tour | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 July 1980 | Santana | — | — |
| 3 July 1982 | The Rolling Stones | European Tour 1982 | — |
| 14 June 1983 | Supertramp | Famous Last Tour | — |
| 16 June 1987 | Genesis | Invisible Touch Tour | — |
| 1 July 1987 | David Bowie | Glass Spider Tour | — |
| 2 June 1988 | Michael Jackson | Bad World Tour | — |
| 1 July 1988 | Pink Floyd | A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour | — |
| 9 September 1988 | Van Halen | OU812 Tour | — |
| 16 September 1989 | The Beach Boys | — | — |
| 14 June 1990 | Tina Turner | — | |
| 31 July 1990 | The Rolling Stones | Urban Jungle Tour | — |
| 8 September 1990 | Tina Turner | — | |
| 24 May 1991 | Herbert Groenemeyer | Luxus-Tour | — |
| 18 July 1991 | Simple Minds | Real Life Tour | — |
| 13 June 1992 | Elton John | The One Tour | — |
| 3 July 1992 | Dire Straits | On Every Street Tour | — |
| 16 July 1992 | Genesis | We Can't Dance Tour | — |
| 25 July 1992 | Bryan Adams | Waking Up the World Tour | — |
| 26 August 1992 | Michael Jackson | Dangerous World Tour | — |
| 29 May 1993 | Lenny Kravitz, Def Leppard, Robert Plant | Rock in Wien 1993 | — |
| 30 May 1993 | INXS, Faith No More, Leonhard Cohen | Rock in Wien 1993 | — |
| 2 June 1993 | Guns N' Roses | Use Your Illusion Tour | — |
| 3 September 1993 | Bon Jovi | I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Tour | — |
| 5 July 1995 | R.E.M. | Monster Tour | — |
| 22 June 1996 | The Kelly Family | — | — |
| 3 July 1996 | Tina Turner | Wildest Dreams Tour | — |
| 10 July 1996 | Tina Turner | Wildest Dreams Tour | — |
| 13 July 1996 | Luciano Pavarotti | — | — |
| 2 July 1997 | Michael Jackson | HIStory World Tour | — |
| 16 June 1998 | Elton John & Billy Joel | Face to Face 1998 | — |
| 1 July 1998 | Eros Ramazzotti | — | — |
| 1 August 2000 | Tina Turner | Twenty Four Seven Tour | — |
| 29 June 2001 | Bon Jovi | One Wild Night Tour | — |
| 24 May 2003 | Herbert Groenemeyer | Mensch Open Air-Tour 2003 | — |
| 28 May 2003 | Bon Jovi | Bounce Tour | — |
| 18 June 2003 | The Rolling Stones | Licks World Tour | — |
| 28 June 2003 | Bruce Springsteen | The Rising Tour | — |
| 4 July 2003 | Robbie Williams | 2003 Tour | — |
| 13 June 2003 | Elton John | — | — |
| 2 July 2005 | U2 | Vertigo Tour | 55,645 |
| 14 July 2006 | The Rolling Stones | A Bigger Bang | — |
| 18 August 2006 | Robbie Williams | Close Encounters Tour | — |
| 19 August 2006 | |||
| 27 May 2007 | Herbert Groenemeyer | 12 | — |
| 24 May 2009 | AC/DC | Black Ice World Tour | — |
| 5 July 2009 | Bruce Springsteen | Working on a Dream Tour | 37,798 |
| 30 August 2010 | U2 | U2 360° Tour | 69,253 |
| 18 June 2011 | Herbert Groenemeyer | Schiffsverkehr | — |
| 22 July 2011 | Bon Jovi | Bon Jovi Live | 56,280 |
| 11 July 2012 | Bruce Springsteen | Wrecking Ball World Tour | 50,293 |
| 29 July 2012 | Madonna | The MDNA Tour | 33,250 |
| 27 June 2013 | Paul McCartney | Out There Tour | — |
| 23 August 2013 | Roger Waters | The Wall Live | 36,385 |
| 16 June 2014 | The Rolling Stones | 14 On Fire | 57,700 |
| 10 June 2015 | One Direction | On the Road Again Tour | 43,788 |
| 30 June 2015 | Helene Fischer | Farbenspiel Live | — |
| 1 July 2015 | |||
| 19 May 2016 | AC/DC | Rock or Bust World Tour | 50,364 |
| 11 June 2017 | Coldplay | A Head Full of Dreams Tour | 56,246[11] |
| 10 July 2017 | Guns N' Roses | Not in This Lifetime... Tour | 54,847 |
| 11 July 2018 | Helene Fischer | Helene Fischer Live 2017/2018 | — |
| 26 August 2017 | Robbie Williams | The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour | — |
| 7 August 2018 | Ed Sheeran | ÷ Tour | — |
| 8 August 2018 | |||
| 2 June 2019 | Phil Collins | Still Not Dead Yet Live Tour | — |
| 17 July 2019 | Bon Jovi | This House Is Not For Sale Tour | — |
| 24 July 2019 | P!nk | Beautiful Trauma World Tour | 55,873[12] |
| 16 August 2019 | Metallica | WorldWired Tour | 54,176[13] |
| 22 August 2019 | Rammstein | Europe Stadium Tour 2019 | — |
| 23 August 2019 | |||
| 31 August 2019 | Andreas Gabalier | 10 Jahre Volks Rock'n Roll 2019 | — |
| 19 June 2022 | Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer | Hella Mega Tour | — |
| 13 July 2022 | Guns N' Roses | Guns N' Roses 2020 Tour | — |
| 15 July 2022 | The Rolling Stones | Sixty | 57,141 |
| 1 September 2022 | Ed Sheeran | +–=÷× Tour | 124,800 |
| 2 September 2022 | |||
| 1 July 2023 | P!nk | Pink Summer Carnival | — |
| 2 July 2023 | |||
| 8 July 2023 | Harry Styles | Love On Tour | — |
| 14 July 2023 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Global Stadium Tour | — |
| 18 July 2023 | Bruce Springsteen | 2023 Tour | — |
| 26 July 2023 | Rammstein | Rammstein Stadium Tour | — |
| 27 July 2023 | |||
| 23 June 2024 | AC/DC | Power Up Tour | — |
| 26 June 2024 | |||
| 21 August 2024 | Coldplay | Music of the Spheres World Tour | — |
| 22 August 2024 | |||
| 24 August 2024 | |||
| 25 August 2024 |