UEFA EURO 2024

© Hamburg Marketing GmbH/JvM

The football world visits Hamburg

UEFA EURO 2024 in Hamburg - A look back at an unforgettable football festival

From 14 June to 14 July 2024, the European Men's Football Championship was hosted for the first time in the reunified Federal Republic of Germany. As one of ten host cities, Hamburg was one of the venues and transformed the Volksparkstadion into a vibrant football stage. Five high-calibre matches - including four preliminary round games and an exciting quarter-final - attracted fans from all over Europe to the city on the Elbe.

A spectacular start with international appeal

Months before the tournament, Hamburg provided the first highlight of UEFA EURO 2024: on 2 December 2023, the final draw took place in the iconic Elbphilharmonie - the eagerly awaited group draw. However, it wasn't just the event itself that impressed with high-calibre football celebrities, but also the impressive staging in the Port of Hamburg, which caused a worldwide sensation.

Hamburg Marketing spectacularly staged 24 artistically painted containers with the flags of the participating nations: over 100 port employees and 12 reach stackers stacked them into six group blocks in real time parallel to the draw. The impressive spectacle was broadcast live on the UEFA stream and spread rapidly in the national and international press and on social media. This extraordinary campaign put Hamburg on the football map and conveyed a strong image of anticipation, enthusiasm and hospitality to the world. The Welt-Zeitung newspaper put it in a nutshell: "In contrast to the team - the draw ceremony awakens anticipation for the European Championship."

"Hamburg. There's something going on." - A campaign with a lasting effect

The spectacular container installation marked the start of the large-scale marketing and communication campaign "Hamburg.Great Things Start Here" ("Hamburg. Great Things Start Here"). The aim of the campaign was to use the UEFA EURO 2024 to position Hamburg even more strongly internationally as a vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis.

With targeted image campaigns in international target markets, impressive staging during the tournament and comprehensive media coverage of the official fan zone on the Heiligengeistfeld, the city's charisma was optimally utilised. Tens of thousands of fans celebrated a peaceful football festival here - another strong signal of Hamburg's hospitality and event expertise.

International awards for Hamburg's container production

The spectacular container installation for the UEFA EURO 2024 in Hamburg was recognised worldwide as an outstanding creative achievement and received a total of 43 national and international awards. This makes the installation one of the most successful marketing campaigns in the sports and event sector.

At the Art Directors Club Germany (ADC) competition, the project was celebrated as one of the big winners of the evening. The campaign received a Grand Prix, six gold medals and three silver medals, placing second out of 9,400 entries. The Hamburg production also impressed on an international level: it was honoured with the prestigious CLIO Award in silver in the "Design" category.

These honours underline the creative excellence and media reach of the campaign, which sustainably strengthens Hamburg's position as an innovative and cosmopolitan metropolis. The extraordinary realisation of the "Container Draw" staging remains a best case for innovative city marketing and event communication.

Hamburg as UEFA EURO 2024 Host City - Facts & Figures

  • Five matches in the Volksparkstadion, each with 50,000 enthusiastic fans
  • Participating nations in Hamburg: Netherlands, Croatia, Albania, Czech Republic (2x), Turkey and the play-off winners Portugal and France
  • Match dates: Group matches on 16, 19, 22 and 26 June 2024, quarter-finals on 5 July 2024
  • 1.600 volunteers on duty (1,000 in the stadium, 600 in the city)
  • The Fan Zone on Heiligengeistfeld as a central meeting point for football fans from all over the world
  • Host City Ambassador: Patrick "Coach" Esume, Commissioner of the European Football League

A complete success for Hamburg

The UEFA EURO 2024 was a complete success for Hamburg. With a unique staging, a high-calibre fan experience and international attention, the city has proven that it is not only a first-class host, but can also set creative and sustainable accents. The campaign "Hamburg. There's something going on" campaign remains a success story and shows how targeted city marketing can utilise a global sporting event to promote the city's image.

Hamburg has impressively strengthened its position as a top destination for sporting events and major international events - and the football world will remember the UEFA EURO 2024 in the metropolis on the Elbe for a long time to come.

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