Buy Union Berlin vs Hoffenheim tickets for the 2026/27 Season, with the fixture set for Saturday 19 December 2026 and kick-off listed for 16:30 at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. The last seven league meetings at this ground have split three wins each with one draw, and Hoffenheim won the most recent 4-2, so the home side has a score to settle before the winter break.
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Union Berlin play in a ground that holds 22,012, of which 18,395 are standing places, which makes it one of the most distinctive and most difficult tickets in the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim arrive from Sinsheim with a European campaign running alongside their league season.
This guide covers what you can expect to pay, which part of the ground suits which buyer, how hospitality works at the Alte Forsterei, how delivery and entry are handled and every Bundesliga meeting between the sides in Berlin. It is built to help you pick the right seat and buy with confidence.
Hoffenheim travel around 600 kilometres north for this fixture, and the visiting allocation at a ground of 22,012 is small in absolute terms even under the German practice of giving away supporters a generous share. For most visiting fans, the away block is not a realistic route.
Home demand is extraordinary relative to the size of the ground. Union sell season tickets and memberships against a capacity smaller than many second-tier stadiums elsewhere in Europe, and the club has been working through an expansion project precisely because demand outstrips what the current ground can hold.
The standing terraces change the arithmetic. With more than 18,000 of the places on terracing rather than seats, the supply of seated tickets is genuinely limited, and those are the places most visitors from abroad want.
Hoffenheim's own season shapes how many travel. A European campaign that includes nights such as Crystal Palace vs Hoffenheim takes both money and weekends out of the calendar, so a long December away day competes with trips that supporters value more highly.
The date matters too. A Saturday in the week before Christmas is the last home fixture before the winter break for most Bundesliga clubs, and that gives it the feel of an occasion regardless of the opponent.
Resale supply follows a pattern at Union. Very little appears in the weeks after the fixture list is published, because season ticket holders and members buy first and decide later whether they can attend. Listings build in the fortnight before the match and again in the final 72 hours, once holders know their December plans.
The short answer is yes, but not through the club in any reliable way. Understanding how Union sell their tickets explains why.
Members receive priority in sales, season ticket holders take a large block of the ground and what remains for general sale at a 22,012-capacity stadium is small. For a Bundesliga fixture in December, the club window can close within hours of opening.
Standing places complicate things further for visitors. Terrace tickets are the lowest-priced and most plentiful part of the ground, but they are also the ones local supporters buy first, and they suit people who know the ground rather than first-time visitors.
Membership is not a solution for a single trip either. It runs on a season-long basis, gives priority rather than a guarantee and rewards long-standing members ahead of new joiners.
A verified marketplace is the practical route. 1BoxOffice lists seats from verified sellers, so you can see what is available, choose between seated and standing where both are offered and buy without a membership number. Listings name the area where available, which matters at a ground where the difference between a seat and a terrace place is significant.
Hoffenheim supporters should apply through their own club for the away allocation, which is distributed by the visiting side. Neutral buyers should take a home area and follow the colours guidance below.
Five factors drive the price for this match: where you stand or sit, demand for the fixture, how close you buy to kick-off, the competition context in the 2026/27 season and whether you want hospitality. German clubs keep face values low by European standards, and Union are no exception, but the gap between face value and resale is wider here than at most grounds because supply is so tight.
| Ticket Type | Resale Price Range | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing terrace | £45 – £90 | Atmosphere seekers | The bulk of the ground; expect to stand throughout and arrive early for a good spot |
| Seated, behind the goal | £70 – £130 | Budget-conscious fans who want a seat | Limited in number, so these go quickly |
| Seated, main stand wings | £95 – £170 | Couples and small groups | Covered seating with an angled view |
| Seated, main stand central | £130 – £250+ | First-time visitors | The clearest sightlines in a ground where seats are scarce |
| Business seats and hospitality | £250 – £600+ | Corporate guests and celebrations | Around 1,866 business places exist, including a small number of boxes |
Prices reflect typical resale ranges and may change as demand and availability shift closer to the match.
Prices move differently here than at larger grounds. At a 60,000-seat stadium, late supply usually softens prices; at 22,012 places with a sold-out home record, late supply is thin enough that prices tend to hold or rise into the final week. Waiting is a strategy that works badly at this ground.
The important decision here is not which stand but whether you want a seat at all. Seats make up 3,617 of the 22,012 places, so they carry a premium that would look odd at a ground with a conventional split, and they sell out first for a December fixture.
Single tickets are more common than pairs on the terraces, where places are not numbered. Groups who want to stand together should arrive early rather than expecting adjacent spots to be guaranteed.
The Alte Forsterei is a ground rebuilt largely by its own supporters, with terracing on three sides covered during the 2009 works and a main grandstand added in 2013. It opened in 1920 and sits in woodland in Kopenick, in the south-east of Berlin, which gives it an atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the league.
| Area | What It Suits | Pricing Bracket | Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main grandstand, central | First visits and a clear view of the play | Highest | Covered seating with the business areas alongside |
| Main grandstand, wings | A seat at a lower price | Upper | Same roof, angled towards one goal |
| Seated blocks behind the goal | Buyers who need a seat but not a central view | Mid to upper | Few in number, so treat them as scarce |
| Terraces, behind the goal | Atmosphere seekers | Mid | The loudest part of the ground, with singing from before kick-off |
| Terraces, long side | Value and a side-on view | Lower to mid | Standing with a full view of the pitch at the lowest prices |
| Visitors' sector | Hoffenheim supporters only | Mid | Designated area with its own entrance, confirmed with the ticket. Hoffenheim colours belong here only |
Neutral buyers and undecided fans should look at the main grandstand, where the crowd is mixed and nobody minds a quiet spectator. If you support Hoffenheim but hold a place in a home area, leave the blue at the hotel.
Terrace etiquette is worth knowing before you go. Places are unreserved, so supporters arrive early to claim a spot, move as a crowd when the ball goes into the corners and stand for the full match. It is the reason many visitors come, but it is not the choice for anyone who wants to sit down.
Cover is good on the terraces after the 2009 rebuild, which matters for a December afternoon in Berlin, where temperatures around kick-off are often close to freezing. Dress for standing still in the cold rather than for walking around.
Arrival timing is the single most useful piece of planning for a terrace ticket. Gates at German grounds typically open around 90 minutes before kick-off, and for a full house at the Alte Forsterei the regulars are in place well before that. Turning up 20 minutes before the whistle means standing wherever there is room, usually at the back or in a corner.
Families and anyone with mobility needs should aim for the main grandstand. The seated capacity is small, so book early rather than assuming seats will be available late in the week.
Hospitality at the Alte Forsterei is concentrated in the main grandstand, where the ground holds around 1,866 business places including a small number of boxes. It is a modest operation by Bundesliga standards, which suits the club's character but limits availability.
| Hospitality Option | Typical Buyer | Main Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Business seat | Couples and small business groups | Covered central seat with catering and a warm indoor space |
| Lounge package | Fans marking a special occasion | Food and drink before kick-off and at half time |
| Shared box | Small corporate parties | Private space with a direct view of the pitch |
| Private box | Corporate hosts | Dedicated service in one of a limited number of boxes |
Business places are largely sold on a season basis, so single-match availability appears only when holders cannot attend. With fewer than 2,000 such places in total, those releases are quickly taken.
The practical appeal in December is warmth. A ground that is mostly open terracing is a cold place in the week before Christmas, and an indoor space before the match and at half time changes the afternoon considerably.
Dress is relaxed at Union compared with most clubs offering hospitality. Smart casual is more than sufficient, and nobody will look twice at a warm coat over it.
Delivery depends on how the seller holds the ticket. German clubs issue most tickets digitally now, and your listing will state whether the ticket arrives by transfer, as a downloadable file or on paper.
| Delivery Type | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Mobile ticket (app transfer) | Set up the app in advance, accept the transfer promptly and keep your phone charged |
| E-ticket (PDF) | Download it before you travel and turn screen brightness up at the turnstile |
| Paper ticket | Confirm the delivery address and allow time for courier delivery |
| Collection in Berlin | Note the meeting point and time and keep your order reference to hand |
Resale tickets are often released in the final days before the match, once the seller's ticket becomes available for transfer. Your order status will show when it is ready.
Read the listing notes carefully, carry photo identification and charge your phone fully if you are using mobile entry. German grounds are typically cashless for food and drink, so bring a card or a phone set up for payment rather than relying on euros in cash.
Bag rules at Bundesliga grounds are strict and Union are no exception. Anything larger than a small bag will be refused at the turnstile, there is limited storage nearby and the queue to resolve it is not one you want in December. Travel with pockets rather than a rucksack.
Getting there is simple by Berlin standards. The S-Bahn to Kopenick and a short tram or bus ride brings you to the ground, with a walk through the woods at the end that is part of the experience. Allow extra time after the final whistle, since the local network absorbs a full house all at once.
Buying through 1BoxOffice, a verified marketplace running since 2006 with a 150% money-back guarantee, takes only a few minutes.
Step1
Find the fixture
Search for Union against Hoffenheim and open the listing for Saturday 19 December 2026.
Step2
Set up your account
Create an account so your order details and ticket updates sit in one place.
Step3
Filter by area
Narrow the listings by seated or standing, price or number of tickets to match your group.
Step4
Read the listing notes
Check whether the ticket is a seat or a terrace place and whether it sits in a home or visiting area.
Step5
Choose your quantity
Select how many tickets you need and confirm whether seats are listed as together.
Step6
Review the total
Check the full price, including fees and delivery, before moving to payment.
Step7
Pay securely
Complete the purchase through the encrypted checkout and keep the confirmation email safe.
Step8
Follow your order
Use track order to see when your tickets are ready and how they will reach you.
A note on the eight steps above: complete them on the same device where you will hold the ticket. Most German mobile tickets transfer to an app account rather than an email address, and matching the two up late in the week is the most common avoidable problem for visiting buyers.
One last point on timing. The Bundesliga confirms exact kick-off times several weeks in advance but not at the moment the fixture list appears, and December dates are among the ones most often adjusted for television. Check the confirmed slot before booking non-refundable travel.
Berlin is one of the easiest European cities to reach, with a single large airport connected to the centre by rail, and direct routes from across Europe and the Gulf. The city's public transport reaches the ground without a car, which makes this an easy trip to plan from abroad.
If you are travelling as a group, filter for tickets listed together and read the notes to confirm the arrangement. Bundesliga kick-off times are confirmed several weeks ahead, though December fixtures can move, so book flexible travel where possible.
Daylight is short in Berlin in late December, with sunset before 16:00, so a 16:30 kick-off is played entirely under lights. Plan sightseeing for the morning and treat the afternoon as the match and the journey back.
Berlin rewards a longer stay in December. The Christmas markets run across the city, museums are quieter than in summer and Kopenick itself has an old town worth an hour before the match.
On where to stay, Kopenick itself is quiet and inexpensive but a long way from the rest of the city. Most visitors base themselves around Mitte, Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg and take the S-Bahn out, which runs 40 to 50 minutes door to door depending on where you start.
Hoffenheim supporters travelling regularly can also look at home fixtures in Sinsheim through the Rhein Neckar Arena listings.
Among those dates is Hoffenheim vs Bayer Leverkusen, which gives a useful comparison of what a home fixture costs against a December trip to Berlin.
Union supporters planning away days have their own calendar to work through, with trips such as Augsburg vs Union Berlin to fit around this one.
A second southern trip, SC Freiburg vs Union Berlin, sits in the same part of the calendar, so anyone planning both should book the December home fixture first and work outwards.
Union reached the Bundesliga in 2019, and Hoffenheim were among the first visitors to the Alte Forsterei, winning 2-0 in December of that first season. The result set an early marker in a fixture that has stayed close ever since.
The middle years belonged to Union. They won 2-1 in January 2022 in front of a crowd limited to 3,000 by the restrictions of that winter, then won 3-1 in January 2023 during the season they finished in the European places. Those were the afternoons that made the ground's reputation with a wider audience.
Hoffenheim answered with a 2-0 win in September 2023 and, after a 2-1 Union win in September 2024, took the most recent meeting 4-2 in September 2025. That is the highest-scoring game between the clubs in Berlin, and the first meeting here to produce more than four goals.
Across seven meetings the sides have won three each, with one draw, and the goal count sits at 12-10 in Hoffenheim's favour. Few fixtures in the Bundesliga are this evenly balanced at one ground.
For buyers, the record says this is a fixture worth attending rather than a foregone conclusion. Three wins each, one draw and a two-goal swing in the total across seven matches is as even as a head-to-head gets.
One point on scope. The record on this page covers Bundesliga matches at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. The two clubs spent years in different divisions before Union were promoted in 2019, so there is no earlier top-flight history in Berlin to add, and results from other competitions or from Sinsheim are not counted here.
What makes this meeting distinctive is the contrast between the clubs. Union rose from the third tier on member money and volunteer labour, with supporters rebuilding the terraces themselves, while Hoffenheim climbed from the amateur leagues with corporate backing. The two models meet twice a season, and neither has the upper hand here.
The figures below cover all Bundesliga meetings at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei with Union Berlin as hosts.
| Metric | Total |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 7 |
| Union Berlin wins | 3 |
| Hoffenheim wins | 3 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Union Berlin goals | 10 |
| Hoffenheim goals | 12 |
| Biggest Union Berlin win | 3-1 |
| Biggest Hoffenheim win | Two goals, in 0-2 and 2-4 |
| First Bundesliga meeting in scope | 17 Dec 2019 |
| Most recent meeting in scope | 13 Sep 2025 |
Source: football-data.co.uk season records and ESPN match data, cross-checked for every result.
Results are listed newest first, with the Union score shown first.
| Date | Score |
|---|---|
| 13 Sep 2025 | 2-4 |
| 21 Sep 2024 | 2-1 |
| 23 Sep 2023 | 0-2 |
| 21 Jan 2023 | 3-1 |
| 15 Jan 2022 | 2-1 |
| 28 Feb 2021 | 1-1 |
| 17 Dec 2019 | 0-2 |
Source: football-data.co.uk season records and ESPN match reports.
The pattern behind those results is worth a moment. No meeting at this ground has been settled by more than two goals, and three of the seven finished level or by a single goal. Union won twice by a single goal and once by two, while all three Hoffenheim wins here came by exactly two, which is the profile of a fixture that stays live deep into the second half.
That matters for anyone weighing a terrace place against a seat. A ground of this size with a close game late on produces the noise the Alte Forsterei is known for, and the standing areas behind the goals are where you feel it.
Yes, 18,395 of the 22,012 places are standing, with only 3,617 seats in the ground.
No, marketplace tickets need no membership, although club sales give members priority.
Visiting supporters use a designated sector with its own entrance, confirmed when the away allocation is issued.
Berlin afternoons in late December often sit close to freezing, and standing still makes it feel colder.
German grounds are typically cashless, so bring a card or a phone set up for payment.
Sources: 1. FC Union Berlin official stadium information, StadiumDB capacity records, football-data.co.uk season records and ESPN match data.