New shine for Halle: ice rink celebrates grand reopening!

New shine for Halle: ice rink celebrates grand reopening!

It is with great anticipation that the Sparkassen-Eisdom ice rink in Halle (Saale) will be ceremonially reopened today, October 25, 2025. After extensive renovation work that was necessary to repair the damage caused by the 2013 flood, the hall is starting the new season with a huge opening party. The celebrations begin at 11.45 a.m. with a fan march from the main train station directly to the ice rink.

Things really get going at 1:30 p.m. with a varied stage program that will certainly not disappoint any ice sports fan. The highlight of the day is the official opening of the hall at 2:30 p.m., at which Mayor Dr. Alexander Vogt, Minister Sven Schulze and other guests of honor such as Dr. Jürgen Fox from Saalesparkasse and Daniel Mischner from the Saale Bulls will be present.

A day full of highlights

Admission to the ice rink opens at 3:30 p.m., followed by a warm-up for the teams from 4:20 p.m. and the on-ice opening at 4:40 p.m. The sporting highlight of the day takes place at 5:15 p.m.: the Saale Bulls' Oberliga home game against the Hannover Indians. Before the game begins, the symbolic key to the hall is handed over, symbolizing the return to normality.

After the sporting part, there will be a big opening party with live music in front of the ice dome from 7.30 p.m., which will last until 10 p.m. and will certainly invite you to properly celebrate the successes of the renovation.

Restructuring and financial aspects

The total costs for the renovation and conversion amount to around 32.6 million euros, with the city of Halle raising 7.6 million euros from its own resources. This significant investment shows how important the ice rink is not only for the city of Halle, but for the whole of Saxony-Anhalt. Given the current challenges in sports infrastructure and the fact that many municipal sports facilities urgently need renovation, this project represents a positive ray of hope.[ tagesschau.de ] reports that more than 50% of the cities surveyed complain about serious backlogs in investment in sports halls. The current situation in many municipalities is alarming, as finances are often not sufficient to ensure necessary maintenance.

In view of these challenges, the reopening of the ice rink is an encouraging example of how sports facilities can be maintained and promoted through targeted measures. At the same time, however, those responsible must pay attention to the pressing issues of the municipal sports infrastructure in order to maintain popular sports in the future.

While the ice rink now shines in new splendor, one must not forget that nature remains unpredictable. In the back of our minds remains the memory of the heavy rains that once again exacerbated the flood problem last year. These unprecedented weather conditions make it clear how important it is not only to invest in the structural fabric, but also to take preventive measures against such natural events.[ mdr.de ]

An exciting day for ice sports fans in Halle and a hopeful sign for the future of sport in the region!