Opel Arena is the home of 1. FSV Mainz 05, a modern 33,305-capacity ground on the western edge of Mainz that has become one of the most atmospheric mid-size stadiums in the Bundesliga. Demand for Opel Arena tickets is driven by the loyal Mainz support, the visits of Bayern Munich and the other German giants, and the reputation of a club that gave the game two of its most successful managers early in their careers. The stadium, known today as the Mewa Arena and originally opened as the Coface Arena, replaced the old Bruchwegstadion in 2011 and gave Mainz a home fit for top-flight football. 1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace established in 2006, with seat-level detail at checkout and a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
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This guide is written for the supporter making the trip, not the browser. It covers the buses and the matchday shuttle out from Mainz Hauptbahnhof, how the four stands are arranged around the home terrace, where away fans sit, the bag rules and the entry process, the food and wine of Rheinhessen, and the story of a club that punches far above its size. By the end you should know how a Mainz matchday runs.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Current Name | Mewa Arena (opened as Coface Arena) |
| Location | Western Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany |
| Capacity | Around 33,305 for Bundesliga matches |
| Opened | 3 July 2011 |
| Construction Cost | Around 60 million euros |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Home Club | 1. FSV Mainz 05 |
| Standing | Around 13,700 standing places for league matches |
| Replaced | The Bruchwegstadion |
| Nearest Station | Mainz Hauptbahnhof, around 4 kilometres away, then the bus or shuttle |
Opel Arena sits on the western edge of Mainz, around four kilometres from the main railway station and the centre, out by the A60 motorway rather than in the middle of town. Because it is away from the centre and not on a tram line, most supporters reach it by matchday shuttle bus or by service bus from Mainz Hauptbahnhof. Mainz is a compact and pleasant city on the Rhine, the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, and the trip out to the ground is short and well organised on a matchday.
The easiest way to the ground is the bus from Mainz Hauptbahnhof, with lines 54, 55 and 58 running to the Kisselberg stop by the stadium in around ten minutes. On matchday the club and the city lay on additional shuttle buses direct from the main station to the ground, which are the simplest option for visiting supporters and run frequently around kick-off. Follow the crowd and the signs from the bus stop to the turnstiles, a short walk away.
Mainz Hauptbahnhof connects the city to Frankfurt, its nearby airport and the wider German rail network, and it is the hub for the buses and the shuttle out to the ground. The stadium is around four kilometres from the station, too far to walk comfortably for most, taking the best part of an hour on foot, so the bus or the shuttle is the sensible choice. Supporters flying in usually route through Frankfurt Airport, a short train ride from Mainz, then continue to the Hauptbahnhof for the match.
By road the ground is easy to reach, sitting right by the A60 motorway on the edge of Mainz, with the exit for the stadium clearly signed. There is parking around the ground and in park-and-ride areas nearby, though the roads and car parks fill up before a bigger match, so arriving early helps. Drivers should follow the motorway signs for the arena rather than heading into the centre of Mainz, as the stadium is on the outskirts and well served by the road network.
For a busy fixture the park-and-ride approach works well, leaving the car at one of the designated areas on the edge of the city and completing the trip by shuttle or bus, avoiding the congestion right around the ground. The stadium's position by the motorway makes it one of the more car-friendly grounds in the Bundesliga, but the sheer number of supporters means the immediate roads clog up, so parking a little further out and riding in is often quicker in the end.
Parking at Opel Arena is more plentiful than at many German grounds, thanks to its position on the edge of Mainz by the A60, with car parks around the stadium and park-and-ride options nearby. For a bigger match the closest spaces fill early and the surrounding roads get busy, so arriving in good time or using a park-and-ride area further out and riding in is the better plan. Supporters coming from outside the city by car will find the ground simple to reach off the motorway, but should build in extra time to park and clear the approach on a matchday, particularly for the visit of Bayern or another of the big clubs.
Opel Arena is a modern, football-specific ground with four stands close to the pitch and steep tiers that hold the noise, giving it an atmosphere well beyond what its size would suggest. The main stand along one side carries the hospitality and premium seating, the stand opposite runs the length of the other touchline, and the two ends behind the goals hold the home terrace and the away section. The home standing terrace behind one goal is the heart of the Mainz support and the loudest part of the ground on a matchday.
The home end behind one goal is the standing terrace, where the most passionate Mainz supporters gather and the singing, the flags and the atmosphere come from. Germany's safe-standing tradition means this is a large terrace holding thousands, converted to seats only for European fixtures, and it is the section to target for the fullest matchday experience in the red and white of the club. The steep terrace close to the pitch makes it one of the better home ends in the Bundesliga for noise and colour, in the loyal spirit of the Mainz support.
The main stand along one touchline holds the premium and hospitality seating, the media positions and the tunnel, with the higher-priced central seats offering the best balanced view of the play. The stand opposite runs the length of the other touchline with solid views in a slightly calmer setting. Both sides give clear sightlines across the pitch, and the central rows of the main stand are the pick for a tactical overview, while the seats nearer the corners come at a lower price with a more angled view.
Away supporters are housed in a section holding around 3,500 for a full Bundesliga allocation, in the corner and behind one goal, with good sightlines but separated from the home support, and the exact allocation varies by fixture. The ground has strong accessible provision, with dedicated wheelchair-user positions, companion seating and step-free access built into a modern stadium, though supporters with access requirements should contact the club before the match to confirm the arrangements. The table below matches a section to what you want from the day.
| Priority | Recommended Sections |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | The home standing terrace behind the goal |
| Tactical overview | Main stand, central rows |
| Close to pitch | Front rows of the lower tier |
| Calmer view | The stand opposite the main stand |
| Budget-friendly | The corners and the standing areas |
| Away fans | The visiting-supporter section in the corner |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair-user bays with companion spaces (request at purchase) |
Mainz sits in the Rhine valley, one of the warmer and drier parts of Germany, with pleasant early and late-season weather but cold, wet winters that can bring rain and the occasional snow, so the conditions at a match vary sharply across a Bundesliga season. The roof covers most of the seated areas, keeping the bulk of the crowd dry, though the standing terrace and the open corners are more exposed to the wind and rain. For an autumn or winter fixture a warm and waterproof layer is essential, while the early and late-season matches in the mild Rhine valley are usually comfortable.
Like other Bundesliga grounds, Opel Arena runs a firm bag policy with searches on entry, so the sensible approach is to travel light. Large bags and rucksacks are best left at your accommodation, since oversized bags are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store, with only small bags admitted subject to search. Standard prohibited items apply, including bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares, and any object judged dangerous. German grounds use a cashless payment system inside, so a contactless card or the stadium card is needed for food and drink. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit before you travel, and arrive early to clear the search.
Mainz is a fine food and wine city, the heart of the Rheinhessen region, Germany's largest wine area, famous for its Riesling and its relaxed Rhineland culture, so the matchday build-up is a real pleasure. The ground is out by the motorway, so the fuller choice of bars and restaurants is in the pretty old town, a short bus ride away in the centre.
Mainz and the surrounding Rheinhessen are wine country, producing more wine than any other German region, so a glass of local Riesling is the natural matchday drink, alongside the beer and the hearty food of the Rhineland. Local specialities include Spundekas, a spiced cream-cheese dip served with pretzels, Handkas cheese and the Weck bread rolls of the region, all washed down with wine or a Mainz beer. The old town, with its cathedral, its market square and its wine taverns, is full of places to eat and drink before the trip out to the ground.
The old town of Mainz, around the cathedral and the market square, is the place to gather before a match, with its wine bars, beer halls and restaurants, while the area right around the ground by the motorway is more functional with the stadium's own catering. Because the stadium is out of the centre, most supporters build the day around the old town and take the bus or shuttle out. The city's wine-tavern culture, with a glass of Rheinhessen Riesling, is a fine way to start a matchday in Mainz.
Inside the stadium the concourses serve German matchday staples, the bratwurst and beer that go with a Bundesliga afternoon, on the cashless payment system used across German grounds. The real draw, though, is the wine and food of Mainz in the old town, so for a fuller experience eat and drink in the centre beforehand, among the wine taverns and beer halls, then take the bus out to the ground for the match.
Mainz use modern ticketing, so for most fixtures the ticket is issued digitally and scanned at the turnstile, and the ground runs on a cashless system inside for food and drink. Load the ticket, charge your phone and have a contactless card ready before you reach the entrance. Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd filter in, and with a bag search at the turnstiles the entrances get busy in the last half hour. Aim to be at the ground in good time rather than joining the final rush, particularly for the visit of Bayern or another of the big Bundesliga clubs.
Leaving a ground out by the motorway means relying on the buses and the matchday shuttle back into the centre and to the main station, which run frequently after the final whistle.
The service buses and the matchday shuttle carry the crowd back towards Mainz Hauptbahnhof and the centre after the match, running frequently to clear the ground. The stops are busy immediately after a bigger fixture, so either move quickly with the first wave or give the crush a few minutes to clear before setting off. The organised shuttle from the ground to the main station is the simplest way back for most supporters, and it gets you into the centre for the evening.
Drivers face the usual post-match congestion on the roads around the ground, so patience helps, and those who used a park-and-ride area should take the shuttle or bus back to their car. The stadium's position by the A60 means the motorway clears reasonably quickly once you are away from the immediate car parks, but the first fifteen minutes after a big match are slow, so a relaxed departure is often quicker in the end.
The natural way to end a Mainz matchday is to take the bus or shuttle back into the old town for the evening, for a glass of Rheinhessen wine or a beer in one of the city's wine taverns. The simplest way to beat any post-match crowd is to let the first wave clear before heading off, then enjoy the centre of Mainz. An evening over the wine and food of the Rhineland is a fine end to a football trip.
The stadium opened on 3 July 2011 as the Coface Arena, built at a cost of around 60 million euros to replace the cramped old Bruchwegstadion that had been the club's home for decades. The move gave Mainz a modern, football-specific ground fit for the Bundesliga after the club had established itself in the top flight, and the new stadium quickly became known for a fierce atmosphere despite its mid-size capacity. It was renamed the Opel Arena in 2016 under a sponsorship deal with the carmaker based nearby in Russelsheim, and again became the Mewa Arena in 2021, though many supporters still know it by its earlier names.
The ground is bound up with one of the more remarkable stories in modern German football, that of a small club from a wine city that rose to the Bundesliga and stayed there against far wealthier rivals. Mainz reached the top flight for the first time in 2004 under Jurgen Klopp, then a young manager who had spent his whole playing career at the club, and later gave a first senior job to Thomas Tuchel, so the stadium and the club that plays there hold a special place in the careers of two of the most successful coaches of the modern game. That heritage of clever, ambitious football on a modest budget remains part of the club's identity.
Since moving in, Mainz have made the ground a difficult place to visit, qualifying for European football on several occasions and building a reputation for punching above their weight. The home terrace, packed and loud, has driven famous nights against the biggest clubs in Germany, and the stadium has settled into its role as a fortress for a club that thrives on its underdog status. European qualification has brought continental football to the ground in recent seasons, adding to its story.
The stadium's history, verified by contemporary records, is defined by the rise of Mainz as a Bundesliga club and by the atmosphere of its home terrace. Its finest occasions have come against the giants of German football, when a packed ground has roared the underdogs on against Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and the rest, and by the European nights that qualification has brought to the city. The club's story, from the old Bruchwegstadion to the Bundesliga under Klopp and Tuchel, gives the ground a distinctive place in the modern German game, one built on ambition rather than money.
Opel Arena is a modern, well-appointed ground that suits the club, so its future lies in continuing as the home of Mainz 05, with the usual periodic upgrades to hospitality, technology and supporter facilities rather than any major rebuild. The stadium's mid-size capacity fits a club of Mainz's scale, and the priority is maintaining the atmosphere and the matchday experience that make it a difficult place for visitors. For now the ground remains the settled and much-loved home of Mainz, a modern arena that has quickly built its own history in the Bundesliga.
Opel Arena has strong accessible provision as a modern stadium, with dedicated wheelchair-user positions, companion seating and step-free access built into the design, along with facilities for supporters with a range of access needs. Supporters requiring accessible seating should contact the club well before the match to confirm the available spaces, arrange any companion ticket and check the best route into the ground. The buses and the matchday shuttle from the main station give reasonable access to a ground on the edge of the city, and the club can advise on the most suitable arrangement and the nearest drop-off for a given fixture.
The fixtures that move Opel Arena tickets fastest are the visits of the biggest German clubs. The match against Bayern Munich is the standout occasion, always the hardest ticket of the season, and you can follow it on the Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich tickets page, with the visitors' own listings on the Bayern Munich tickets page. The meeting with regional rivals Eintracht Frankfurt is another big draw, covered on the Mainz 05 vs Eintracht Frankfurt tickets page and the Eintracht Frankfurt tickets listings, while the visit of Bayer Leverkusen and the other leading sides also sells strongly. The full home programme sits on the Mainz 05 tickets and Bundesliga tickets listings. Fixtures against mid-table sides are the most accessible and sometimes available closer to kick-off. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than fixed and buy early for the visit of Bayern and the marquee matches.
1BoxOffice is a verified secondary marketplace that has operated since 2006, showing seat-level detail before you pay and backing every order with a 150% money-back guarantee if a ticket fails to grant entry on matchday. The eight steps below cover the process from finding a fixture to tracking your order.
Step1
Find the fixture
Go to the Opel Arena listing on 1BoxOffice and select the match you want. Each fixture shows the available stands, rows and current pricing before you commit to a seat.
Step2
Check the seat detail
Use the stand and price filters to compare sections. Seat location and row are shown against the venue layout, so you can weigh the home terrace against a central main-stand seat before deciding.
Step3
Confirm the supporter section
Make sure the block matches who you are travelling with. Home and visiting-supporter areas are listed separately, and away fans are routed to the visiting-supporter section in the corner.
Step4
Review before checkout
Check the delivery method and the kick-off time against your travel plans, and note that the ground runs on a cashless system inside. Bundesliga kick-off times can shift with broadcast scheduling, so verify the date and time before you book travel or a hotel.
Step5
Create your account
First-time buyers should create an account to complete checkout and receive the ticket. Returning customers simply log in. An account keeps your order and delivery details in one place.
Step6
Complete payment
All major credit and debit cards are accepted. The 150% money-back guarantee applies automatically to every order if the ticket fails to grant entry on matchday.
Step7
Receive your ticket
Tickets for Mainz fixtures are typically issued digitally. Keep the ticket ready to scan on your phone, and follow the delivery instructions supplied with your order.
Step8
Track your order
Follow delivery status and manage your booking through track order. Tickets arrive ahead of the match so you can travel with everything ready.
Mainz makes a rewarding and easy football trip, a pretty and historic city on the Rhine, the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, famous for its cathedral, its old town, its Gutenberg heritage and the wines of the surrounding Rheinhessen. Fly into Frankfurt Airport, a short train ride away, then continue to Mainz Hauptbahnhof, and take the bus or the matchday shuttle out to the ground. Base yourself in the old town, and remember that the ground runs on a cashless system inside, that the stadium is out on the edge of the city rather than the centre, and that the wine and food of the Rhineland are a reason to travel in themselves. Mainz pairs a match with a relaxed and characterful German city break.
With Frankfurt and the Rhine wine country close by, many supporters build a longer trip around the match. If you are lining up other fixtures, the football tickets hub, the wider football tournaments calendar and the venues tickets directory show what else is on. In and around Mainz, the Romanesque cathedral, the Gutenberg Museum, the old town and market square, the banks of the Rhine and the vineyards of Rheinhessen all reward a matchday trip to the region.
Opel Arena holds around 33,305 for Bundesliga matches, a mid-size ground by German standards, including roughly 13,700 standing places. The capacity is reduced for European fixtures, when the standing terrace is converted to seats. Despite the modest size, the steep, close stands make it one of the louder grounds in the Bundesliga on a matchday.
The ground is the home of 1. FSV Mainz 05, playing in the Bundesliga. The club moved here in 2011 from the old Bruchwegstadion, and the stadium has been their home ever since. Now known as the Mewa Arena, it opened as the Coface Arena and carried the Opel Arena name from 2016 to 2021.
The ground is on the western edge of Mainz by the A60, around four kilometres from Mainz Hauptbahnhof. Take a service bus, lines 54, 55 or 58, to the Kisselberg stop, or the matchday shuttle direct from the main station, both around ten minutes. By car, follow the motorway signs to the arena and use the parking or a park-and-ride area nearby.
Yes, parking is more plentiful than at many German grounds thanks to the stadium's position by the motorway, with car parks around the ground and park-and-ride options nearby. The closest spaces and the surrounding roads fill up before a bigger match, so arrive early or park further out and ride in on the shuttle to avoid the congestion.
Yes, Mainz tickets are sold to the general public, though the visit of Bayern and the other big clubs sells out fast. A verified secondary marketplace is a realistic route for visitors, with seat detail shown before you pay. Check the delivery method and any entry requirements listed with your order before the match.
Travel light, as large bags and rucksacks are refused and there is no guarantee of a bag store, with only small bags admitted subject to search. Expect a search at the turnstile. Bottles, cans, outside alcohol, pyrotechnics and flares are prohibited. The ground runs on a cashless system inside, so bring a contactless card for food and drink. Check the club's matchday guidance for the current bag size limit.
The home standing terrace behind one goal is the loudest part of the ground, where the singing, the flags and the atmosphere come from, in the red and white of Mainz, so target it for the fullest experience. It is converted to seats only for European matches. The main stand and the stand opposite are calmer and better suited to a clear tactical view.
Visiting supporters are housed in a section holding around 3,500 for a full allocation, in the corner and behind one goal, with good sightlines but separated from the home support. The allocation varies by fixture, so away fans should always check the details for their specific game and follow the guidance issued with the ticket.
Yes. As a modern ground it has dedicated wheelchair-user positions, companion seating and step-free access built into the design. Contact the club before the match to confirm the available spaces and arrange the seating and any companion ticket in advance. The buses and the matchday shuttle from the main station help with reaching the ground.
Gates open ahead of kick-off to let the crowd in, typically well over an hour before a Bundesliga match. With a bag search at the turnstiles, the entrances get busy in the last half hour, so aim to arrive in good time, especially for the visit of Bayern. The precise opening time is confirmed with your ticket.
The concourses serve German matchday staples, the bratwurst and beer that go with a Bundesliga afternoon, on the ground's cashless system. The real draw is Mainz itself, a wine city in the Rheinhessen region famous for its Riesling, along with local specialities such as Spundekas cheese dip. Eat and drink in the old town before taking the bus out to the ground.
Mainz are a small club with an outsized influence, having risen from the second tier to establish themselves in the Bundesliga against far wealthier rivals. The club gave early jobs to Jurgen Klopp, who reached the top flight with them in 2004, and Thomas Tuchel, two of the most successful managers of the modern game, which gives the ground a distinctive place in the story of German football.
The stadium opened on 3 July 2011 as the Coface Arena, built at a cost of around 60 million euros to replace the old Bruchwegstadion. It was renamed the Opel Arena in 2016 under a sponsorship deal, then the Mewa Arena in 2021. It gave Mainz a modern, football-specific home fit for the Bundesliga.
Face-value Bundesliga prices at Mainz are among the more affordable in the division, with the standing terrace the cheapest area. Resale prices depend on the opponent, with the visit of Bayern Munich and the other giants the most expensive. Secondary-market prices move with demand, so treat any figure as indicative rather than a promise.
The old town of Mainz is the best base, around the cathedral and the market square, with plenty of hotels and an easy bus or shuttle out to the ground. Staying central puts you among the wine taverns, restaurants and bars of a characterful Rhine city, near the Hauptbahnhof for the buses to the stadium and for onward travel to Frankfurt.
Mainz issue tickets digitally for most fixtures, scanned at the turnstile from your phone. Load the ticket and charge your phone before you arrive, and bring a contactless card for the cashless system inside. Follow the delivery and entry instructions supplied with your order, as the requirements can vary by fixture.
The ground carried the Opel Arena name from 2016 to 2021 under a sponsorship deal with the carmaker based nearby. Since 2021 it has been known as the Mewa Arena, and it opened in 2011 as the Coface Arena. Many supporters still refer to it by its earlier names, and it is the same stadium throughout.
The ground is out by the motorway, so the attractions are in the centre and the region. The Romanesque cathedral, the Gutenberg Museum, the old town and market square, the banks of the Rhine and the vineyards of Rheinhessen all reward a matchday trip to Mainz, with Frankfurt a short train ride away for a longer stay.
Yes, when Mainz qualify. The club has reached European competition on several occasions, bringing continental nights to the ground. For those fixtures the standing terrace is converted to seats, which reduces the capacity from the Bundesliga figure, in line with the seating requirements for European matches.
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Sources: 1. FSV Mainz 05 (mainz05.de), club matchday guidance, Mainz city transport information, football ground guides, and Bundesliga and stadium reference records. Information was gathered in July 2026 and may change; check sources for the latest details. 1BoxOffice is not affiliated with 1. FSV Mainz 05 or the Mewa Arena. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.