Euro 2024: Best places to watch the tournament in Germany

How will die Mannschaft fare compared to your home country? It’s time to find out! Here’s where you can catch the game - and every match to come over the next month - in Germany’s five biggest cities.

When and where will Germany play in Euro 2024?

Whether or not Germany succumbs to the Scots tonight, the team will be heading to Stuttgart to play Hungary on June 19 for their second game of the group stage. In previous meetings, die Mannschaft has taken home 13 wins compared to the 12 nabbed by the fellow paprika-loving nation.

Next up is a neighbour. In the final game of the group stage, the team will meet Switzerland at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt on June 23. Historically, Germany has almost always had enough to beat the Swiss national team with their eyes closed (36 wins to 9), but the past three matches have swung the other way.

What are Germany’s chances at the European Championships?

As always, Germany hopes for a Sommermärchen, a summer fairy tale of goal after goal, street parties, host glory and lifting the cup in Berlin on July 14.

Until September 2023 that prospect was looking pretty bleak, the team lost four out of five games against average opponents and won none. But things have taken a turn for the better under Julian Nagelsmann, the team's new, 36-year-old coach who is known to go heavy on the tactics and isn’t afraid of trying new, wacky ones.

In what many saw as a left-field decision, Nagelsmann brought ageing star and former World Cup winner Toni Kroos back into the team in March 2024. Alongside Kroos, Nagelsmann will rely on Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rüdiger and Kai Havertz to carry the four-time World Champions through what may well be a rocky tournament.

Where to watch the Euros in Germany

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones who got tickets to the Euros and are now headed for Munich or Gelsenkirchen, don't worry, there are going to be many public viewings available across the country where you'll be able to savour the atmosphere and share in all the highs and lows that football has to offer. 

Here are some of the largest gatherings in the five largest German cities and beyond:

Where to watch the Euros in Berlin

Berlin has gone the whole hog for the Euros, erecting a gigantic goalpost at the head of the Fanmeile (fan mile) between Brandenburger Tor and the Siegessäule.

The fan mile along Straße des 17. Juni will be kitted out with a “pop-up park”. All matches played by the German national team will be broadcast on screens along the fan mile, along with many other matches scheduled during the tournament.

When the Fanmeile is heaving, good alternatives include Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg for a small entrance fee and the Waldhochseilgarten Jungfernheide.

Cheer on at the fan zone in Hamburg 

Locals and visitors in Hamburg can head to the St. Pauli Fan Zone to watch every game live on all 22 match days. Along with a grand screen, there will be a ferris wheel and beach club with deck chairs and various food options.

The fan zone is free to enter and will close at 11.30pm, or in the event of extra time, 30 minutes after the whistle is blown.

Best places in Munich to watch the European Championships

Olympiapark in Munich will host the city’s official, free-to-enter fan zone throughout the Euros, opening from 1pm every day of the tournament to screen the matches.

The Olympic Park fan zone will also have live music, fitness classes, a small football pitch for guests to play on, poetry slam and theatre performances and an open-air cinema, so you can even bring your friends who hate football.

Watch Euro 2024 from Cologne 

Throughout the tournament, Cologne will have a free-to-enter fan zone at the Heumarkt which will show every match of the competition for free for up to 7.500 visitors. Open from 2pm every day, there will also be DJ sets, live music and plenty of food to eat and beer to drink.

There will also be a more Germany-focused public screening area at Tanzbrunnen, which will show matches played at the Cologne stadium and all matches played by the Mannschaft.

Mannschaft on the Main in Frankfurt

The official fan zone in Frankfurt will be hosted on the Mainufer, between the Holbeinsteg and Friedensbrücke bridges, with a view of the city’s business district.

Open daily from 1pm until midnight, visitors can enter for free and enjoy a floating stadium on the river, fields to try their foot at the beautiful game, live music and talks, and all the sausage-related meals you could hope for.

Where to watch the Euros on TV in Germany

If the fan zone feels too overwhelming and you don’t want to stand up for all that time, UEFA has also created a search engine which allows fans to find nearby bars and restaurants to watch the match, you can find that here.

Maybe even that sounds like too much, and you’d prefer the comfort of your very own sofa and guarantee of not missing a single kick from Querpass-Toni? During the tournament, between them, MagentaTV, ARD, RTL and ARD will broadcast every match.

Since paying the Rundfunkbeitrag TV licence is mandatory for all residents in Germany, anyone will be able to stream matches broadcast by ARD and ZDF, which includes the semi-finals, quarter-finals and final, regardless of whether the Mannschaft make it that far.

Thumb image credit: Radowitz / Shutterstock.com