Status: 05.12.2023, 07:40 a.m.
By: Melanie Gottschalk
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Snowfall has paralyzed parts of Bavaria, and FC Bayern's game also had to be cancelled. The time was used effectively at the Allianz Arena.
Munich – It was here at the weekend, the onset of winter in Bavaria. Parts of the country were temporarily paralyzed, heavy snowfalls caused chaos. FC Bayern also had to cancel their home game against Union Berlin on Saturday (2 December). There were impressive pictures from the Allianz Arena, a helicopter cleared the stadium of snow and ice.
"We very much regret that we have to cancel the game, but the safety of our fans and Union Berlin supporters is our absolute priority. In addition, access to the Allianz Arena is not guaranteed due to numerous road closures and various cancellations of public transport," chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen was quoted as saying on FC Bayern's website.
Sky around Allianz Arena all in pink: Here's why
After the cancellation, however, the time in the Allianz Arena was apparently used effectively. A motorist or passenger posted a short video on X (formerly Twitter) in which the stadium of FC Bayern can be seen. The arena itself glows red, but the sky around it is completely bathed in pink. It's snowing. The post was posted on Saturday, noting that it was taken in the "afternoon."
Behind the impressive pink sky is a simple explanation: lawn care was practiced. Until 2022, the lamps of the lighting system were lit in yellow, but since then a new type of LED lighting technology has been used. The light is now pink – and energy-efficient.
The sky above the Allianz Arena turned pink on Saturday evening. © Screenshot: travel7k/Tik Tok
Lawn care in the Allianz Arena during heavy snowfall bathes sky in pink
"Every stadium is different and every pitch has different lighting and heat requirements. We have developed a growth algorithm that specifically calculates how much light and heat is needed for each part of the square, based on many different parameters," said the company's founder, Nico van Vuuren, at the presentation of the new lighting system.
Jürgen Muth, Managing Director of Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH, said in 2022: "With a stadium environment as closed as the Allianz Arena and our cold and dark winters, we need a lighting system so that the turf can grow all year round." With the new system, the turf temperature is constantly measured and the control system switches itself on when necessary. Last Saturday, with heavy snowfall, it is not surprising that the turf of the Allianz Arena needed a lot of light. In addition, a new greenkeeper was hired in the summer of 2023 to bring the green in the stadium into shape. (msb)