Two Years of Raiffeisen Arena: A Major Attraction and Economic Impulse Generator

At the start of the press breakfast, ÖFB national team coach Ralf Rangnick congratulated the team via video message on their successful track record: "The Raiffeisen Arena in Linz is an impressive example of what is possible when sport, politics, and business work together. The stadium is not only an architectural highlight but also a symbol of the passion and progress of Austrian football. It also demonstrates how important it is to invest in sporting infrastructure to take football in Upper Austria, and thus in all of Austria, to the next level."

Since its opening, 820,000 visitors have made their way to the Raiffeisen Arena – 700,000 of them attending 57 matches involving LASK, the LASK women’s team, the ÖFB national team, and the ÖFB women’s national team. To date, 6,500 public subscriptions and 1,500 business subscriptions have been sold. Around 120,000 guests have attended various events. These ranged from functions hosted by approximately 300 sponsors and partners to weddings and children's birthday parties. Currently, 155 full-time equivalents are employed in various roles around the Raiffeisen Arena.

A study commissioned by Raiffeisenlandesbank OÖ examined the macroeconomic effects of the Raiffeisen Arena. Economist and emeritus JKU professor Friedrich Schneider derived the following results from two perspectives:

• The construction of the Raiffeisen Arena from 2020 to 2023 contributed to an increase in regional GDP by 44.07 million euros.
• During this period, mass income was boosted by more than 20 million euros. 
• This, in turn, resulted in an indirect additional tax share of 8.95 million euros and direct taxes and social contributions amounting to 7.66 million euros.
• The employment effects were particularly significant: In 2022, around 950 additional jobs were created or secured.

• In the first season of 2023/24, LASK and the Raiffeisen Arena alone generated an additional regional GDP of 42.84 million euros.
• This resulted in an additional mass income of approximately 19.53 million euros.

Raiffeisenlandesbank OÖ CEO Heinrich Schaller emphasized that the Raiffeisen Arena is a flagship project for the collaboration between politics, business, and sport: "The visionary implementation of the Raiffeisen Arena has not only provided localized contracts for domestic companies but has also created sustainable value-added and, consequently, jobs. The study underscores that such investments can also stimulate the national economy. The Raiffeisen Arena, with its smart and well-thought-out architecture and special atmosphere, is a wonderful place to celebrate football events. We see that it’s not just die-hard football fans who feel at home here, but also the younger generation, families, and business guests."

Governor Thomas Stelzer is convinced that the construction of the Raiffeisen Arena has created added value in many areas: "We want top-level sports in Upper Austria, and it also needs the best conditions. The Froschberg in Linz is a very visible example of this with the Raiffeisen Arena and the Olympic Center. There are many factors that define the new stadium: In addition to the macroeconomic impulses, it is also the excitement of the visitors and the great interest, which is especially visible during national team games. There are few projects of this scale where work is carried out so consistently and passionately to further develop our region."

LASK CEO Siegmund Gruber emphasized the significance of the arena as the new home for LASK and the economic value created by its construction: "The Raiffeisen Arena is an absolute milestone in the development of LASK and has opened up new opportunities for us in many ways. The fact that 820,000 people attended LASK games, ÖFB matches, and various events in the stadium in the first two years underscores the high value the Raiffeisen Arena holds. As LASK, we are grateful to have more than 300 sponsors and partners by our side, and we are pleased that with our home stadium, we can also set important impulses for the economic location of Upper Austria and create added economic value. The Raiffeisen Arena is a prime example of what can be achieved when sport, politics, and business pull together and collaborate. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners, sponsors, and representatives from politics and business, particularly Governor Thomas Stelzer and CEO Heinrich Schaller, who helped make this unique project a reality."