Donaustadion, home of SSV Ulm 1846, is set to undergo redevelopment work as part of an agreement between the 2. Bundesliga club and the City of Ulm.
The city will aim to quickly “rebuild and upgrade” the Donaustadion, with the council to have the final say on how the project will be financed. A council meeting is scheduled for March 19 to discuss the plans.
The project is designed to retain the stadium’s status as a multi-purpose venue, with the facility also hosting athletics and school sports. The redevelopment is projected to cost between €25m (£21m/$27m) and €30m.
At the start of the 2026-27 season, the north stand of the stadium will be demolished and replaced by a new stand with a roof, with the number of seats set to significantly increase. The south stand will then be demolished and replaced by a new structure, while functional rooms in the main stand will be renovated and adapted to modern standards.
The redevelopment will aim to support SSV Ulm’s plans to establish itself in the 2. Bundesliga following promotion from the 3. Liga last season. The Donaustadion opened in 1925 and has a current capacity of 19,500.
SSV Ulm said the redevelopment work, which will include a new function room in the north entrance, additional sanitary facilities and other infrastructure, is “urgently needed”.
The club will refinance investment in the stands through the commercial use of the stadium. The club is also seeking companies that would be interested in acquiring naming rights to the stadium.
SSV Ulm will also draw up a concept for a potential new stadium, and will work with the city to identify a suitable site. The investment and operating costs of any new stadium would be covered by the club.
Markus Thiele, managing director of SSV Ulm, said: “We are happy that we have now found a solution that will help us in the short and medium term, but it is far from our original preferred option. A project like this is only possible together and with compromises, which we have made.
“We thank everyone involved for the discussions and cooperation. It is nevertheless of great importance that we work on a football arena in parallel so that professional football also has long-term prospects here. The city and the region have so much to offer, and our club and the people deserve to experience great emotions on a permanent basis.”
SSV Ulm is currently 17th in the 2. Bundesliga with 10 matches of the season remaining.
