On 5 July, Schalke 04 started selling tickets for the eight home games in the first half of the 2nd division. Sales for club members started at 10 am. Just four hours later, the club announced that the quota had been fully utilised. This means that at least 55,000 Schalke fans will be flocking to the Veltins-Arena. The Royal Blues can therefore rely on the strong support of the fans in the new season.
The rush for tickets is somewhat surprising, as the team’s performance last season often left a lot to be desired. There were also some capacity problems with online sales, but the fans were not deterred from rushing to buy tickets.
Even Karel Geraerts, the Belgian coach in the service of Schalke, cannot believe this support. The match director marvelled at the ticket madness of the loyal supporters. In his opinion, no other club does this. The Belgian is very proud and delighted with the fans’ support.
S04 is aiming for the next world record
The stadium capacity of the Veltins-Arena is 62,271 seats and standing room. The club stopped season ticket sales at 40,000 tickets and around 6,000 tickets are reserved for guests. With the VIP lounge seats, 15,000 tickets were still available for online sale. If the visiting teams do not utilise their full allocation, additional tickets can be purchased at a later date. However, this is dependent on the necessary security measures.
This season, Schalke is on course to break its own second division world record of 61,502 spectators on average. Last season, the Royal Blues surpassed the record set by Hamburger SV. Hamburg attracted an average of 53,564 spectators to the Volksparkstadion in the 2022-23 season.
It remains to be seen whether Schalke will manage to set a new record, as stadium capacity utilisation in the 2023/24 season was an incredible 99 per cent. A total of 1,045,465 spectators attended the Royal Blues’ home matches.
Schalke tickets: the club draws conclusions from the rush
Those responsible at the club have reacted to last season’s rush. The club is limiting the number of tickets for the North Curve to two tickets per buyer. The aim is to give more people the opportunity to watch Schalke matches live in the stadium.
Due to the rush of members for tickets, some fans have been left empty-handed. They still have the chance to buy a coveted ticket via the S04 ticket exchange. The S04 ticket exchange offers a great opportunity for ticket holders who can’t or don’t want to watch the match live in the stadium. They can legally sell their tickets on the platform.
Schalke 04 announces good news for the fans
The club announced to the fans that the partnership with Bogestra (Bochum-Gelsenkirchener Straßenbahnen AG) has been extended until 2029. In a press release, Schalke’s CFO Christina Rühl-Hamers spoke of the environmental and traffic benefits of using public transport.
Public transport was frequently used by fans last season. Utilisation was even higher for the four matches during the European Championships.
The tickets can be used for both the journey to the match and the journey home. The tickets are valid as a ticket for buses and trains (2nd class) in the entire VRR area (Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association). This regulation applies not only to S04 home matches, but also to other events held in the Veltins Arena.
