Olympic Park Munich celebrates 40 years

850,000 square metres celebrate their birthday In August 2012, the Olympic Park Munich and its 850,000 square metres will celebrate its 40^th birthday. And these last four decades tell a real story of success. On August 26^th 1972 an exceptional story began with the opening of the XX Olympic Games in Munich. “When we mark the 40^th anniversary of Olympic Park this year, we have every reason to be proud. Proud to be the most successful example of sustainable post-olympic use worldwide. And proud, because the federal state capital Munich and the Olympiapark Munich Ltd. in close cooperation with numerous sports, entertainment and economic partners succeeded in filling this architectural masterpiece with life for such a long time”, says Ralph Huber, Olympiapark manager, rejoicing over the jubilee. Huber continues, “Olympic Park has maintained a firm position among the most important event venues around the world with its seamless concentration and combination of many different kinds of sports and event facilities, and has not lost any of its charisma or attraction ever since. It wasn’t until recent years, during an application for the 2018 Winter Games, we were happy to learn over and over again just how highly esteemed and appreciated the Olympic site still is. And even if the (application for the) Winter Games was rejected for the time being, life at Olympic Park Munich will go on, with even greater motivation, but above all with the intention of modelling the coming decades on these historical grounds and being as successful as the past 40 years. In short, leading Olympic Park to a bright future.” Since the Olympic Games in 1972, the site has seen 31 World, 12 European and almost 100 German Championships as well as many other significant sports events, various concerts with pop, rock and classical music stars, fairs, general meetings and many different exhibitions. Leisure and tourism businesses prove to be as successful as ever with their many additional and up-to-date services. In statistical terms, by the end of 2011 there were 186.4 million registered ticket buyers at Olympic Park (104.7 million spectators at events and 81.7 million guests of the leisure and tourism enterprises). Furthermore, 11,316 events have taken place in the halls, stadiums and outdoor areas. “In the last few years we reached the four-million mark in 2011 (4.2 million), which means that, with a conservative calculation, about 12 million people have taken advantage of the possibilities that the park has to offer”, Huber explains. In 2011 alone, 341 events took place at Olympic Park. It needs to be noted that no other Olympic Park can look back on such a large number of past events, and no other Olympic Park can even hope to offer such leisure and tourism facilities. It therefore goes without saying that this anniversary will be celebrated accordingly. Many national and international events will be held at Olympic Park under the 40^th anniversary umbrella, enthusing the audience. ‘Holiday on Ice’, held in the Olympic Hall since 1972 and therefore one of the most successful alliances between an organiser and Olympic Park, is also makes use of the “40^th anniversary” motto with its new show “Festival”. A storm of legendary soccer history will blow through Olympic Park at the UEFA Champions League Fest from May 16^th to 19^th. And afterwards, from May 20^th to 26^th 2012, Olympic Park will demonstrate that it is a venue for all sports adolescents in the world during the Special Olympics. After a short break, the DTM (German Touring Car Masters) will take place in the stadium and in the outdoor areas on July 14^th and 15^th, a supporter of new innovative events at Olympic Park.  “Münchner Sommernachtstraum” (Munich Summer Nights Dream), one of the most successful in-house productions will place itself under the cloak of the 40^th anniversary on July 21^st. Created for the 10^th anniversary and firmly established within the event programme ever since, the ‘Sommerfestival’ will be held from July 26^th to August 22^nd in Coubertin Square. “Ice hockey at Olympic Park Yesterday and Today” will be the jubilee theme for the German Cup from November 9^th to 11^th. And last but not least, the AIDA Night of the Proms will be held from December 13^th to 16^th - a glorious end that will represent the countless concerts with many famed superstars. Huber concludes, “Each one of these events and many more will make 2012 a very special and unique year. And of course we will celebrate a birthday jamboree (party) with all the inhabitants of Munich, guests, friends and partners. The programme will be fun, joyous and exciting on a site full of history and on a historic date - the 26^th of August 2012. It was exactly 40 years earlier, on August 26^th 1972, the Olympic Summer Games were opened and the success story of Olympic Park began.”