The stadium on Hafenstraße is being modernized—at the very least, the seat shells on the Helmut Rahn Stand are getting a facelift.
Red and White will have an even greater presence at the stadium on Essen’s Hafenstraße: The replacement of the seat shells on the Rahn Stand in blocks R2, R3, and R4, planned by the club and the Essen Municipal Property Management (GVE), has begun. The work is expected to be completed this coming Wednesday, December 17.
This means the new seat shells will be ready in time for the final home game of 2025 (Saturday, December 20, 2:00 p.m.) against SSV Ulm 1846.
It is becoming increasingly clear, even visually, that the stadium on Hafenstraße is the home of Rot-Weiss Essen. The replacement of the seat shells on the Rahn Stand is already giving the stadium a clearly visible, refreshed look. After more than 13 years of use, the seat shells need to be replaced. RWE and GVE had been planning these measures for more than a year; at that time, the idea was also developed to bring a new, modern look to the stadium with the new, large checkerboard pattern and to enhance the grandstand.
The seat shells on the Rahn Grandstand were the most weathered and worn, which is why the seat shell replacement began there. By Wednesday, December 17, parts of the seats in blocks R2 through R4 (a total of 3,120 seats) will be replaced. Currently, half have already been installed (as of Friday morning, December 12).
As part of the overall project, the seat shells in blocks R1 and R5 will also be replaced, with an additional 2,316 seats being swapped out there. This second phase is expected to take place during the 2026 summer break. Despite the phased implementation, match operations will remain unaffected throughout. The work will be organized so as not to disrupt the event schedule.
The old seat shells will be stored in a weather-protected facility as a reserve and are intended to be reused in the spirit of sustainability for potential seating in the standing areas during future (national) games or possibly future concerts with higher seating requirements.