ZAG-Arena

The ZAG-Arena is not a football ground, and that is where the story begins. It stands on the former Expo 2000 grounds in Hanover, pulled together from the Döhren-Wülfel and Kronsberg districts. Since the Hannover Scorpions sold their licence in 2013, the arena has had no single permanent home side.

The schedule is not. A hockey rink is laid down for the winter months and the hardwood floor is revealed for handball or concerts. The capacity shifts with the surface: 10,767 for a match, 14,000 if the floor is cleared for a stand.

It has changed its name three times. It opened as the Preussag Arena, became the TUI Arena after the parent company restructured, and took the ZAG-Arena title in April 2020. The TUI sponsorship ended payments in 2014, but the name was kept until the contract expired.

The arena has hosted the German national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 2013 and 2015. It has also seen concerts from Depeche Mode, Roger Waters and The Backstreet Boys. The Scorpions played there in 2000 and again in 2010. The building remains the largest indoor venue in the Hanover region, though it does not host matches for a single club.