Venue | Eurovision Song Contest News - Azerbaijan 2012 

Esprit Arena

The 2011 Eurovision Song Contest will be taking place in... Dusseldorf! The Esprit Arena will be the home of the 56th edition of the competition.

The Esprit arena is a multifunctional football stadium in Dusseldorf, Germany. The stadium holds 54,600 and has a closable roof. The special heating system allows comfortable events at the height of winter.

It was built from 2002 to 2004 to replace the former Rheinstadion at the same site near the river Rhine. The structure's initial capacity of 51,500 was expanded in summer 2010 when seating areas were converted into standing terraces. It hosts association football team Fortuna Dusseldorf (currently in the second division - 2. Fu?ball-Bundesliga).

Contents The Arena was not one of the venues for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but it hosted several international matches since it opened. The first international match in the Arena was an international friendly between Germany and Argentina on 9 February 2005, ending in a 2-2 draw. On 7 February 2007, Germany played their second international friendly in the Arena, beating Switzerland 3-1. In their third international friendly in the Arena, on 11 February 2009, Germany suffered a 1-0 defeat to Norway.

The Arena also hosted two international friendlies of the Portuguese national football team. In Portugal's first international friendly in the Arena, on 1 March 2006, they recorded a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia. On 26 March 2008, Portugal played their second international friendly in the Arena, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Greece national football team.

Other sporting events The stadium was the former home of the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe, an American football league. They were tenants half a year after it reopened to the end of the 2007 season. Espirit Arena is also due to host the Race of Champions 2010, of which home drivers Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher have already signed up for.

Concerts On New Year's Eve 2008, the dance music event Sensation was held with expectedly over 15,000 attendees in the arena. Esprit Arena will host the 56th Eurovision Song Contest in 2011. Artists that have performed at the stadium include Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Coldplay, Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, Fiction Plane, Genesis, Herbert Gronemeyer, Linkin Park, Madonna(Confessions Tour & Sticky & Sweet Tour), The Police, The Rolling Stones and Die Toten Hosen, among others.

Naming rights The naming rights to the stadium are currently held by clothing manufacturer Esprit. Prior to July 2009, the German airline LTU held the naming rights. Dusseldorf's mayor Dirk Elbers stated that, due to treaty obligations, the arena will lose its sponsor name and be renamed Dusseldorf Arena for the time the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 will be held in it in May 2011.

Public transport Esprit Arena/Messe Nord is a terminus station of the Dusseldorf urban rail line 78, part of the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR).