The 2025 Olympic Stadium performance by The Union has been cancelled.
Union Berlin, the popular German football club, has announced that they will play at their own stadium, Stadion An der Alten Försterei, during the 2025/2026 season. This decision comes as the stadium undergoes an expansion that will virtually double its capacity from about 22,000 to over 40,000 spectators.
The renovation focuses on increasing capacity especially in the stands popular with fans, while leaving the main stand and designated away fans' areas largely unchanged. This expansion will allow the club to better accommodate supporters while continuing to use their iconic home ground.
Club president Dirk Zingler stated that the team will play at the Olympic Stadium to keep the period without playing at their home stadium as short as possible. Union Berlin's city rival Hertha BSC also plays at the Olympic Stadium, so the decision to play at the Olympic Stadium was made to minimize disruption to Union Berlin's schedule.
The construction measures for the renovation of Union Berlin's home stadium are expected to be completed before the team moves to the Olympic Stadium. All construction work around the stadium, including a new professional training center, a parking garage, and a clubhouse, is scheduled to begin as early as late June and will be completed by June 2026.
The decision to expand Stadion An der Alten Försterei was first made in 2017, but delays in construction measures have been avoided to ensure that Union Berlin's stay at the Olympic Stadium is for only one season. The club is also upgrading its training center in conjunction with the stadium redevelopment.
Therefore, Union Berlin’s home matches in the 2025/26 Bundesliga season will be at Stadion An der Alten Försterei due to its ongoing expansion and the club’s commitment to grow its home venue rather than moving elsewhere. The football club Union Berlin will move to a different stadium for one season in the 2025/2026 season, but the renovated Stadion An der Alten Försterei is expected to have a capacity of approximately 37,700 seats, an increase from the current 22,012.
[1] Union Berlin Press Release, November 2023.
European football leagues may see Union Berlin participate in the 2025/2026 season, as the club intends to return to their iconic home ground, Stadion An der Alten Försterei, following its expansion. The expansion project aims to increase the stadium's capacity to approximately 37,700 seats, a significant growth from the current 22,012.
