Which stadiums will host Bundesliga 2 football in 2026/27?
It may not be the top flight in Germany, but Bundesliga 2 continues to rub shoulders with the big leagues as one of the best supported divisions in world football. With a number of iconic and incredible grounds returning for 2026/27, football afficionados will once again flock to Bundesliga 2 stadiums for yet another enthralling campaign in Germany's second division.
But where exactly will all those fans be making their weekly pilgrimages in 2026/27? Here's the lowdown on the 18 grounds...
Hertha Berlin: Olympiastadion
Capacity: 74,649
Home since: 1936
One of the most instantly recognisable stadiums in world football features in Bundesliga 2. Having been opened for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the giant stadium has reinvented itself to become a modern venue hosting some of football's biggest events in recent decades. Matches at both the 1974 and 2006 World Cup were hosted there, including the final in the latter tournament as well as the Euro 2024 final, 2015 UEFA Champions League final and a grand total of 45 DFB Cup finals, including every year since 1985.
The historic venue has hosted Hertha since 1963, which was the year the Bundesliga was launched. A major renovation ahead of the 2006 World Cup gave it much of the appearance it is known for today, including its blue running track.
Nuremberg: Max-Morlock-Stadion
Capacity: 50,000
Home since: 1928
One of just two Bundesliga 2 stadiums to have a capacity of 50,000 or more, the Max-Morlock-Stadion has a long history. Although it was built before the rise of National Socialism, it was used extensively in that era for propaganda purposes, with the massive German Combat Games held there in 1934. It was remodelled in the post-war era and again in both the late 1980s and in 2002. It is named after a former club legend and West Germany international.
The latter renovation was planned to get the stadium ready to host five matches at the 2006 World Cup. Nuremberg, who have been crowned champions of Germany nine times (once in the Bundesliga in 1967/68), averaged crowds of over 35,000 as they finished in eighth place in 2025/26.
Kaiserslautern: Fritz-Walter-Stadion
Capacity: 49,350
Home since: 1920
Few locations in German football are as steeped in history as Kaiserslautern's home. It has borne the name of its proudest son, one of three Kaiserslautern players to feature in the Germany side that won the 1954 World Cup and the team's captain, since 1985. A renovation for the 2006 World Cup, in which it hosted five matches, enlarged the ground to its current size as it throned over the town of Kaiserslautern from its hilltop location like never before.
The size of the stadium and average attendance of over 46,000 in 2025/26 might seem surprising considering the town's population is just over 100,000. As two-time Bundesliga winners, the Red Devils have frequently made an oversized mark on the German game, however, and are now trying to return to the top flight for the first time since 2012 after finishing sixth last season.
Hannover: Heinz von Heiden Arena
Capacity: 49,000
Home since: 1954
Hannover's home opened in the 1950s with a giant capacity of 86,000. Its construction carried the spirit of the post-war redevelopment perfectly, as debris from houses destroyed in World War II was used to build the stadium. It is another Bundesliga 2 ground with vast experience of hosting big events - nine matches in total in the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, along with two games in Euro 1988 and eight DFB Cup finals, just to cover those in football. There is a huge list of big concerts to have been held at the stadium in which Hannover's average home attendance came to just over 42,000 in 2025/26 when they just missed out on promotion, finishing fourth.
Karlsruhe: BBBank Wildpark
Capacity: 32,190
Home since: 1955
The Wildpark name comes from the fact the ground was built on the former deer park of the Duke of Baden. Having opened back in the 1950s, it recently underwent a complete renovation and was fully reopened in the summer of 2023 with a friendly match against Liverpool. The ground has hosted a DFB Cup final, in 1956, as well as the second leg of the Intercontinental Cup final between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Boca Juniors in 1978. It has hosted many concerts in the past, with Tina Turner performing there three times. The ground was mostly filled in 2025/26 with an average attendance of just over 30,000 as Karlsruhe finished 10th.
Dynamo Dresden: Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion
Capacity: 32,085
Home since: 1923
Dynamo’s stadium has existed as a sports park since the 1870s, with the Dresden English Football Club - believed to be Germany's first football club - playing there. After a stadium was built on the site in the 1920s, the course of 20th-century history shaped it, with heavy damage suffered in the bombing of Dresden during World War II and subsequent use in East German football. A major renovation was completed by 2009 to allow the stadium to host matches at the 2011 Women's World Cup. On their return to Bundesliga 2 last term, Dynamo averaged home attendances over 30,000 as they finished 11th.
Magdeburg: Avnet Arena
Capacity: 30,098
Home since: 2006
Magdeburg's new home was built less than 20 years ago on the site of the city's historic Ernst-Grube Stadion - on the east bank of the Elbe River. An extension completed by 2020 boosted the capacity up to just over 30,000. With their best-ever Bundesliga 2 average attendance of over 25,000 recorded in 2024/25, Magdeburg welcomed bumper crowds in 2025/26 as they once again broke the 25,000 barrier, though numbers fell slightly, which may well be understandable given that they were fighting for survival instead of promotion, as they were the season prior.
Wolfsburg: Volkswagen Arena
Capacity: 28,917
Home since: 2002
Having well and truly established themselves in the Bundesliga at the end of the 1990s, Wolfsburg commissioned construction of the Volkswagen Arena in 2001. It was officially opened a year later with a capacity of 30,000 (22,000 seating, 8,000 standing). No detail was overlooked in its design, with the home changing room including massage rooms, saunas, showers and a revitalisation pool. For greater sustainability, the stadium has 216 energy-efficient LED floodlights and a hybrid grass pitch, while there are places for 650 bicycles outside for environmentally friendly fans. It also became the Bundesliga's first stadium to debut 5G technology as the DFL launched a number of digital firsts at the Wolves' den on Matchday 5 of the 2019/20 season.
After losing the relegation play-off against Paderborn last term, which brought with it a demotion from Germany’s top flight after 29 consecutive seasons, expect to see crowds continuing to flock to this high-tech footballing hub, as the Wolves seek an immediate return to the Bundesliga in 2026/27.
Arminia Bielefeld: SchücoArena
Capacity: 27,332
Home since: 1926
Bielefeld’s ground is another that dates from the 1920s. With the only stands being manmade mounds and a far from pristine pitch, their ground was initially known as Stadion Alm (Alpine pasture stadium). It took a much more modern shape as time progressed. Renovations came in 1970 after Arminia's promotion to the Bundesliga and then again between 1996 and 2008.
With an average attendance of over 26,000 and a whopping 11 of their 17 home games sold out in their first season back in Bundesliga 2 after they sealed promotion from the third tier in 2024/25, expect the SchücoArena – once described by former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso as a "top atmosphere" - to continue to bounce in 2026/27.
St. Pauli: Millerntor-Stadion
Capacity: 29,546
Home since: 1963
St. Pauli's Millerntor has gone through a series of renovations since the early 2000's but it has maintained its fantastic atmosphere. AC/DC's 'Hells Bells', which is played before every game, only adds to the atmosphere. The stadium has a capacity for 29,546 people, of which a massive 16,940 are standing places. In 2010, the Millerntor received the PETA Progress Award as the "most animal-friendly football stadium" as a result of the numerous vegetarian and vegan dishes on offer at the stadium. The stadium also operates a miniature railway that delivers food and drinks to fans. After two seasons in Germany’s top flight, however, Bundesliga 2 fans can once again enjoy the Millerntor’s inimitable atmosphere and hospitality as they gear up for a campaign back in Bundesliga 2 in 2026/27.
Bochum: Vonovia Ruhrstadion
Capacity: 27,599
Home since: 1911
Originally just a meadow on which football matches were played, TuS Bochum built a full stadium at the site in 1921. It had a capacity of over 50,000 before modifications reduced that. It is another ground large enough to host big concerts from time to time, with David Bowie performing there in 1983. Four matches of the 2011 Women's World Cup were hosted at the stadium. Despite relegation from the top flight in 2024/25, Bochum's dedicated fans packed out the ground on Castroper Straße for most of their home matches in 2025/26, averaging over 25,000 visitors and selling out nine times as the Ruhr club finished ninth last term. There is every reason to believe the Ruhrstadion will see more of the same as Bochum look for a return to the Bundesliga under Uwe Rösler.
Eintracht Braunschweig: Eintracht Stadion
Capacity: 23,325
Home since: 1923
Braunschweig's ground is another dating from the 1920s. Its capacity rose to 38,000 at its peak and it hosted a DFB Cup final in 1955. It is unusual among stadiums in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 in retaining a running track around the pitch, and has hosted the German athletics championship four times. An average attendance of over 21,000 supported the Lions as they retained their Bundesliga 2 status last season by avoiding the relegation play-off place on goal difference, making empty seats a rarity at the home of the 1967 champions.
Energie Cottbus: LEAG Energie Stadion
Capacity: 20,602
Home since: 1930
First becoming the home of BSG Energie Cottbus in the late 1960s, the Stadion der Freundschaft remains the home of Bundesliga 2 newcomers Energie Cottbus. Despite the long combined history between this ground and Cottbus, the club first took full ownership of the stadium when they bought it from the city in 2011. The stadium also has a history of hosting international games. The first occurred in 1976, when East Germany beat Algeria 5-0, while the first game with a unified German team to take place there was the U21's 1-1 draw with Poland in 2004. The most recent international fixture to take place in Cottbus was the women’s team’s 9-0 win over Russia in 2013.
Darmstadt: Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor
Capacity: 17,810
Home since: 1921
American troops used Darmstadt's home as a baseball park after World War II. Several renovations have been made since. Most recently, a project was undertaken between 2017 and 2023 to convert the stadium into a modern football venue while retaining its historic character. Solar panels were also installed on the two biggest stands to boost its sustainability credentials. It was famously renamed the Jonathan-Heimes-Stadion am Böllenfalltor during their 2016/17 Bundesliga campaign in honour of a fan who passed away prior to promotion. His name now adorns the south stand.
Greuther Fürth: Sportpark Ronhof | Thomas Sommer
Capacity: 16,626
Home since: 1910
Fürth can proudly claim to have played on the same pitch since 1910. Their stadium originally featured a wooden grandstand, but this was burnt to ashes by an air raid in 1945. Its current shape is formed by renovations in both 1997 and 2018, when the new main stand was opened. The club's average attendance in 2025/26 of just shy of 13,000 was its second-highest outside the top flight since the 1950s, despite the Cloverleaves only surviving via a relegation play-off against Rot-Weiss Essen. And if you were wondering about the name, Ronhof is the area of Fürth - itself now part of the Nuremberg metropolitan region - where the stadium is located, while Thomas Sommer is a local estate agent that has paid for the naming rights.
Osnabrück: Bremer Brücke
Capacity: 16,098
Home since: 1931
Named after the adjacent bridge that heads toward Bremen, the Bremer Brücke (‘Bremen Bridge’) stadium has been the city of Osnabrück’s football haven since the start of the 1930s. Initially home to SC Rapid Osnabrück, VfL’s rivals at the time, the two sides merged in the late 1930’s and it’s been their home ever since. Following its post-war rebuild, the ground has gone onto host numerous women’s national team games, international youth team matches and some notable DFB Cup clashes too.
In the 2016/17 campaign, the stadium hosted the DFB Cup quarter-final between Sportfreunde Lotte and Borussia Dortmund.
Holstein Kiel: Holstein-Stadion
Capacity: 15,036
Home since: 1911
The stadium opened in 1911, was damaged by a tornado in 1921 and then by bombing in World War II. Despite much rebuilding since, in 2005 it was deemed to be in too poor a state to host Bundesliga 2 matches by the DFB, leading to continued redevelopment in recent decades. With the stadium not yet matching the standards of most other top-flight grounds, which became apparent during Kiel's only season of Bundesliga football in 2024/25, the club made plans for a further rebuild from autumn 2025. Nevertheless, after returning to Bundesliga 2 last term, there was still an average weekly attendance of over 14,000 – the second highest in the club’s history. It is located within 2.5 kilometres of Kiel's harbour on the Baltic coast, making it easily the closest ground to the sea in the division.
Heidenheim: Voith-Arena
Capacity: 15,000
Home since: 1972
For their fairytale three-year spell in Germany’s top flight which came to an end last term as Frank Schmidt’s side suffered an 17th-placed finish and automatic relegation, Heidenheim's Voith-Arena was the smallest stadium in the Bundesliga, with capacity for just 15,000 viewers, of which 9,000 places are standing only. Now, in 2026/27 it will be the smallest stadium in the second division.
It is also the highest ground in German professional football with an altitude of 555 metres (1,820 feet). To match Heidenheim's impressive progression through the football pyramid, the Voith-Arena has received a series of upgrades in recent years, but without comprising it’s atmosphere. The nearest stands are just six metres away from the pitch, and the famous Liko's Kiosk, which previously served the stadium that has stood on the site since 1972, providing a unique location for fans to watch the game from. The club acquired the stadium from the city of Heidenheim for €2 million in 2019.
