From A for arrival to Z for ceremonies: Fans are well prepared for their World Cup visit
With the opening ceremony on the town square in Oberhof on Wednesday, January 08, 2025 the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon 2025 takes its course in Oberhof. On the following four days, six exciting competitions will be held in front of thousands of fans in the ARENA am Rennsteig. Here is the most important information for a perfect winter sports day in the Rennsteig town.
Arrival & parking:
On the four competition days (January 9/10/11/12, 2025) of the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon 2025, there will be no parking facilities available for private vehicles in Oberhof. From Tuesday, January 07, 2025, the state road L1128 between the exit of Oberhof direction Grenzadler and Café Kanzlersgrund will be completely closed from 6 am to 10 pm.
Fans are requested to use the designated P+R parking lots in Ohrdruf (including the Festplatz at Schloss Ehrenstein), in Steinbach-Hallenberg (Wolfstraße) and in Suhl-Nord (Rennsteigstraße/Family Center and Ringbergstraße). At the weekend (11/12. January 2025), in addition to the aforementioned P+R parking lots, the parking lot at the company
Storck in Ohrdruf (Herrenhöfer Landstraße 5, 99885 Ohrdruf) and the parking lot in Zella-Mehlis/RABA (Am Schießstand 15, 98544 Zella-Mehlis) will also be available. All detailed information and coordinates can be found at www.biathlon-oberhof.de.
shuttles:
From the P+R parking lots mentioned above, visitors will be transported by free shuttle buses to the ARENA am Rennsteig and back to the parking lots after the competitions. They will run at the following times:
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 10.00 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 7.30 pm
Friday, January 10, 2025: 10.00 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 10.30 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 8.00 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 10.30 pm
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 8.00 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 7.30 pm
The free shuttle buses run between Oberhof town center and the ARENA am Rennsteig at the following times
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 10.30 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 10.30 pm
Friday, January 10, 2025: 10.30 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 10.30 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 10.30 pm
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 8.30 am - 6.30 pm & late shuttle until 7.30 pm
Note: There is no shuttle bus during the competitions.
After the end of the competitions, fans can decide whether they want to return directly to their cars at the P+R parking lots or drive to Oberhof first to attend the award ceremonies on the town square and/or visit the party tent on the town square. The last shuttle bus back to the P+R parking lots departs at 7.30 pm (Thursday, January 09, 2025 & Sunday, January 12, 2025) or at 10.30 pm (Friday, January 10, 2025 & Saturday, January 11, 2025) from the bus station Oberhof.
Opening ceremony:
The opening ceremony of the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon 2025 in Oberhof will take place on Wednesday, 08. January 2025 from 7 p.m. on the town square in Oberhof. The athletes are invited to take part in the opening ceremony. Part of the DSV team has already confirmed their participation. In addition, fans can look forward to a great atmosphere with music and exciting interviews with guests from the worlds of sport and politics.
Attendance at the opening ceremony is free of charge. On the day of the opening ceremony, parking in Oberhof is possible. The parking lots available include Gründle 1, Gründle 2 and Gründle 3.
The organizer would like to point out that the Tambacher Straße at the end of Oberhof to
Kanzlersgrund and the Grenzadler area will be completely closed on the day of the opening ceremony. Fans coming from the direction of Schmalkalden and Steinbach-Hallenberg are advised to use the designated detour via Zella-Mehlis. An early arrival is recommended.
Hüttendorf:
The Hüttendorf on the Grenzadler above the ARENA am Rennsteig invites fans to linger before and after the competitions. Here they can treat themselves to drinks and food - from Thuringian sausages, burgers and fries to pulled pork and soups - as well as fan merchandise and regional souvenirs. Good entertainment will be provided on the Thüringer Wald Eventbühne. On Thursday, 09. January 2025, a globally sought-after Andreas Gabalier double act will perform. On Friday, 10. January 2025, saxophonist André Schnura, who had his breakthrough during the European Football Championships and the Summer Olympics in Paris, will heat up the fans and create an exuberant atmosphere. The two-man party band “Mitchy & André”, known from the TV show “The Voice of Germany”, has been announced for Saturday, January 11, 2025. And on Sunday, January 12, 2025, singer Marco Sommer will storm the stage. After the competitions, the after-race parties invite you to linger in the hut village.
Opening hours of the event area with Hüttendorf:
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 10.30 am – 6.00 pm
Friday, January 10, 2025: 10.30 am – 6.00 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 8.30 am – 6.00 pm
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 8.30 am – 6.00 pm
ARENA am Rennsteig supporting program:
In the ARENA am Rennsteig, the well-rehearsed team, including stadium announcer Niclas Fuchs, the presenter duo Adi Rückewold and René Pfeuffer as well as “DJ Charly”, ensure the best atmosphere. Fans can look forward to a colorful mix of sporting knowledge and entertainment.
The ARENA am Rennsteig opens at the following times:
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 12.00 pm
Friday, January 10, 2025: 12.00 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 10.30 am
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 10.30 am
The party band will be playing in the visitors' tent at the ARENA am Rennsteig on all competition days “BiBa & Die Butzemänner”. The visitors' tent opens at the following times:
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm
Friday, January 10, 2025: 10.00 am – 10.00 pm
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 8.30 am – 10.00 pm
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 8.30 am – 7.00 pm
Supporting program on Oberhof town square:
If you want to party into the night, the Kur-Stadl on the town square in Oberhof is the right place. It opens at the following times:
Wednesday, January 08, 2025: 4.00 pm - 11.00 pm (Holm & the Hardliner, Hütten-DJ)
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 3.00 pm - 11.00 pm (Rockpirat & Hütten-DJ)
Friday, January 10, 2025: 3.00 pm - 1.00 am (Rockpirat & Hütten-DJ)
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 3.00 pm - 1.00 am (Rockpirat & Hütten-DJ)
Sunday, January 12, 2025: 3.00 pm - 10.00 pm (Aprés-Party)
Stadium rules:
The following instructions apply to your visit to the ARENA am Rennsteig. Backpacks with drinks in plastic bottles and thermos flasks up to a maximum of 1 liter and food are allowed. Bringing alcoholic drinks and drugs as well as cans is prohibited, glass containers, glass bottles and jugs is prohibited. The following are also prohibited weapons, private drones, pyrotechnics, sledges, spray cans, animals and tools.
Tickets:
Around 51,000 tickets have currently been sold for the four days of competition. The pursuit races on Saturday, January 11, 2025 are sold out. Tickets are still available for the other competition days in various categories. They can be purchased in the ticket store at
www.biathlon-oberhof.de and printed out conveniently at home. There will also be a box office with remaining tickets.
Competitions:
Six competitions will take place over the four World Cup days.
Thursday, January 09, 2025: 2.20 pm Sprint women
Friday, January 10, 2025 : 2.20 pm Sprint men
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 12.30 pm Pursuit women/ 2.45 pm Pursuit men
Sunday, January 12,2025. 12.20 pm Single Mixed Relay7/ 2.30 pm Mixed Relay
Ceremonies:
The flower ceremonies take place immediately after the competitions in the ARENA am
Rennsteig. The official award ceremonies for the individual races with medal presentations will take place on Friday, January 10, 2025 (sprint women & men) and Saturday, January 11, 2025 (pursuit women & men) at 7.30 pm (warm-up from 7 pm) on the town square in Oberhof. The official award ceremonies for the Single Mixed Relay and the Mixed Relay on January 12, 2025 will take place immediately after the competitions in the ARENA am Rennsteig.
Photo for your free use:
Photo: Biathlon fans
Caption: 51,000 fans are expected over the next few days at the BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon
2025 in Oberhof is expected.
Photo source: Christian Heilwagen/Oberhofer Sport und Event GmbH