From vision to reality: the PILATUS ARENA opens a new era for sports, events and culture in Central Switzerland
After fifteen years of planning and development and around two years of construction, the PILATUS ARENA is about to officially open. What once began as a vision is now reality: on 25 October, Switzerland's most modern mid-sized arena will be inaugurated with a grand opening show and the first home match of HC Kriens-Luzern.
Pre-opening and start of operations for the PILATUS ARENA
On 14 October, invited guests from the political, sporting and cultural circles attended the pre-opening of the new PILATUS ARENA and were given an exclusive preview. The event also marked the official start of operations for the arena. Moderated by Berni Schär, the evening featured speeches by Lucerne Councillor Damian Müller, who praised the project as a ‘promise to sport, culture, sustainability, community and emotions in Lucerne and throughout Central Switzerland, and then discussed the importance of sport for society and politics with Marco Frauenknecht, Kriens City Councillor and Head of the Department of Education and Culture.
In the foyer of the PILATUS ARENA – the ‘Hall of Legends’ – various exceptional Swiss athletes were honoured before two further talks on the architecture and future of the arena were held. The Halter Group (70%) and Caranto AG from Lucerne (30%) are the owners and – together with Pilatus Arena Sports & Events AG (PASE) – also the operators of the PILATUS ARENA. For Markus Mettler, head of the Halter Group and chairman of the board of directors of PASE, the project is a prime example of how a vision can be realised thanks to optimal cooperation between a wide range of stakeholders: ‘The passion, prudence and professionalism of everyone involved have made this milestone possible. With this aspiration, we are now moving seamlessly into operation.’
As a symbolic opening act, Julia Schwöbel, Andy Schmid, Michaela Tschuor, Donghua Li and Giulia Steingruber jointly pressed the ‘Red Button’ which was used as a red ribbon. Starting tomorrow, PASE will begin regular operations at the PILATUS ARENA under the leadership of Operations Manager David Unternährer. Together with his team, he is responsible for marketing and the smooth running of all events. In addition, PASE operates the catering facilities in the ‘Hall of Legends’, which is also open on non-event days for hall users from school and club sports as well as for the neighbourhood.
As a further pillar of its business, David Unternährer's team provides building management services for the PILATUS ARENA and, from next year, the Pilatus Tower. This includes running the guest rooms, co-working and wellness areas, and the roof terrace for the flat owners.
THE GRAND OPENING
The grand opening will take place on 25 October 2025 in front of a sold-out crowd: after a spectacular opening show, HC Kriens-Luzern will play its first home match in the new arena against HSC Suhr Aarau at 8:15 p.m. The PILATUS ARENA is already very well booked for the coming months. Upcoming highlights include the Swiss national handball team's first international match on 1 November against vice world champions Croatia – the debut of Andy Schmid and his national team – as well as the men's handball cup ‘Mobiliar Final 4’ on 27 and 28 December 2025.
With an investment volume of around CHF 55 million, the PILATUS ARENA offers space for 4,500 visitors, has state-of-the-art infrastructure and is developing into the new hotspot for sports, events and culture in Central Switzerland and beyond. In future, it will be the home of HC Kriens-Lucerne and also a versatile platform for national and international competitions, concerts, corporate events, congresses and school and university sports.
We are looking forward to the unique atmosphere in this pot of boiling excitement.
