UEFA Champions League Final 2006 in Paris

Paris 2006 - on May 17^th we will know whether Arsenal London or the FC Barcelona will be the new champion in the top flight of European club football. 50 years of great European football history, legendary teams and outstanding players are celebrated on this evening. Germany's biggest theme park performs a brilliant opening show.

After the 2004 final in Gelsenkirchen and the 2005 final in Istanbul, the venue for the 50^th UEFA Champions League final is the "Stade de France? in Paris. Europa-Park, Germany's biggest theme park, has been invited by UEFA to join in live with a fantastic opening show already for the third time. Under the direction of choreographer Enno-Ilka Uhde, Europa-Park presents a spectacular performance with a cast of over 250, including prize-winning artists, dancers, 100 youngsters from the Paris suburb St. Denis and 100 firefighters.

The concept

It started in Paris and Paris is where we are today! The show with the promising title "Passage to the 50^th? focusses on 50 years of UEFA Champions League. Millions of television viewers and 80,000 football fans in the "Stade de France? experience an impressively staged six-minutes show performance, during which the pitch is transformed into an outlandishly sized stage and the "Stade de France? into an exuberant French birthday party.
After an esthetical and at the same time dynamical opening, a symbolical birthday party in the French national colours blue white and red is celebrated in honour of 50 years of UEFA. Then, the European heroes of football from the past 50 years will be honoured: images of Platini, Beckenbauer, Di Stefano, Charlton, Maldini and Cruyff are lifted in the air on oversized banners by a 3D flight artist. The technical implementation of this element is a world novelty. The dates on a 100 metre long banner remind the audience of the final matches that have taken place from 1956 until today. Upon the final beat of the drum, the two oversized team flages of Arsenal London and FC Barcelona are lifted above the field.

With this vanguard spectacle, Europa-Park is once more redefining international standards for prominent sporting events and thus once again proving that Germany's biggest theme park has excellent credentials in staging unique shows. Europa-Park's motto is to provide an absolutely top-notch performance and "entertainment at its best?.

Football fever in Germany's biggest theme park

In 2006, Europa-Park has opened the stunning new indoor attraction "Arena of Football - Be Part of It!?, a unique sports and entertainment world for the whole family. Record-breaking: Europa-Park welcomes football fans from all over the world with the "World's biggest Football?.
With 3.9 million visitors last year, Europa-Park is the largest seasonal leisure park worldwide. In 2005, it was the only German leisure park to be elected among the TOP 10 most fun theme parks in the world by the renowned business magazine "Forbes?. On an area of 70 hectares the visitors discover more than 100 attractions and shows and experience the culture and architecture of 12 European countries.

Europa-Park is open daily until November 5^th 2006, from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm (longer opening hours during peak season). Winter season 2006/2007: December 2^nd 2006 until January 7^th 2007 (except December 24^th/25^th). Admission prices: adults: 28.50 ?, children: 25.50 ?. Hotel reservations: +49 (0) 1805 / 86 86 20*, Info-Hotline: +49 (0) 1805 / 77 66 88*. Further information: www.europapark.de. (* 0,12 ?/min. for calls within Germany)