The Handball World Championship 2027 venues are spread across six German cities with a strong connection to international handball. From 13 to 31 January 2027, Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel, Magdeburg, Hanover and Cologne will welcome the world’s leading men’s teams for the 30th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship.
The tournament starts in four cities before moving to Hanover and Cologne for the main round. Cologne will then become the centre of the competition, hosting every match from the quarter-finals through to the World Championship final on 31 January.
The six venues combine modern arenas with some of Germany’s most traditional handball locations. Several are regular homes of Bundesliga clubs and have previously hosted World Championships, European Championships or major international club competitions.
Handball World Championship 2027 host cities
The six host cities cover different parts of Germany and different stages of the tournament.
| Host city | Arena | Capacity | World Championship stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanover | ZAG Arena | 10,000 | Main Round, Groups III & IV |
| Kiel | MERKUR Ostseehalle | 10,250 | Preliminary Round, Groups E & G |
| Cologne | LANXESS Arena | 19,250 | Main Round, Groups I & II; knockout stage and final |
| Magdeburg | GETEC Arena | 6,500 | Preliminary Round, Groups F & H; President’s Cup |
| Munich | SAP Garden | 11,000 | Preliminary Round, Groups A & C |
| Stuttgart | Porsche-Arena | 6,200 | Preliminary Round, Groups B & D |
The official tournament website currently lists the SAP Garden with a handball configuration of around 10,000 spectators, while more detailed event information gives a capacity of 10,299.
Munich, SAP Garden
Munich will play a particularly important role at the start of the 2027 Handball World Championship in Germany. The SAP Garden will host preliminary round Groups A and C, with host nation Germany playing its first three matches here.
Opened in 2024 in Munich’s Olympic Park, the SAP Garden is the newest venue of the tournament. The arena is primarily home to EHC Red Bull Munich ice hockey and FC Bayern Munich Basketball, but it has already established itself as a handball venue through events such as the German Super Cup and international matches.
Munich also has a long World Championship history. The city hosted matches at previous editions of the tournament in 1961, 1982 and 2019. In 2027, it will once again be one of the main entry points to a major international handball tournament.
Which World Championship groups play in Munich?
Munich hosts:
- Group A: Germany, Uruguay, Serbia, Tunisia
- Group C: Croatia, Chile, Türkiye, Spain
Germany therefore plays all three preliminary round matches at the SAP Garden before potentially moving to Cologne for the main round.
Stuttgart, Porsche-Arena
The Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart is another familiar venue for major handball events. With space for approximately 6,200 spectators, it is the smallest of the six World Championship arenas but offers a compact setting for international matches.
Stuttgart was already a host city during the 2007 Men’s Handball World Championship. The Porsche-Arena also staged matches during the 2025 Women’s World Championship and regularly hosts international fixtures and major domestic handball events.
During the 2027 tournament, Stuttgart will host two complete preliminary round groups.
Which World Championship groups play in Stuttgart?
The Porsche-Arena hosts:
- Group B: Egypt, Italy, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia
- Group D: France, Brazil, Kuwait, Argentina
After the preliminary round, the three best teams from each group will move to Cologne for their main round matches.
Kiel, MERKUR Ostseehalle
Few German cities are as closely associated with handball as Kiel. The MERKUR Ostseehalle is home to THW Kiel and has long been regarded as one of the country’s best-known handball arenas.
The venue accommodates up to 10,250 spectators and has previously hosted World Championship matches. Kiel was a host city in 2007 and has also staged major European club competitions.
Its location in northern Germany makes Kiel particularly attractive for supporters travelling from Scandinavia. The official organisers specifically highlight the city’s ferry connections to Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
That Scandinavian connection is also reflected in the 2027 group allocation.
Which World Championship groups play in Kiel?
Kiel hosts:
- Group E: Qatar, Sweden, Norway, Greece
- Group G: Denmark, Slovenia, USA, Angola
With defending world champions Denmark as well as Sweden and Norway appearing in Kiel, the city will be one of the main destinations for Scandinavian fans during the preliminary round.
Magdeburg, GETEC Arena
Magdeburg represents another of Germany’s traditional handball centres. The GETEC Arena is home to SC Magdeburg and has a capacity of around 6,500 spectators.
The arena has substantial experience with international handball. It hosted games during the 2007 Men’s World Championship and the 2017 Women’s World Championship and was also part of the 2023 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.
Magdeburg will have a special role in 2027 because handball will continue in the city after the preliminary round. In addition to Groups F and H, the GETEC Arena will host the President’s Cup for teams that do not qualify for the main round.
Which World Championship groups play in Magdeburg?
The GETEC Arena hosts:
- Group F: Portugal, Faroe Islands, Poland, Algeria
- Group H: North Macedonia, Bahrain, Japan, Iceland
After the preliminary round, Magdeburg will remain part of the tournament as the location for the President’s Cup.
Hanover, ZAG Arena
Unlike Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel and Magdeburg, Hanover enters the World Championship during the main round.
The ZAG Arena has a capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators and is regularly used for major handball matches involving TSV Hannover-Burgdorf. It also hosted the Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2024, where Germany secured its place at the Paris Olympic Games before later winning the silver medal.
During the World Championship, Hanover will stage Main Round Groups III and IV from 20 to 25 January 2027. Germany cannot play in Hanover because the host’s tournament route leads from Munich to Cologne if it progresses from the preliminary round.
Which teams can play in Hanover?
- The three best teams from each of preliminary round Groups E, F, G and H qualify for the main round in Hanover.
- This means teams starting the tournament in Kiel and Magdeburg will move to Hanover if they advance.
- The top two teams from each main round group then qualify for the quarter-finals and travel to Cologne.
Cologne, LANXESS Arena
The LANXESS Arena in Cologne is the largest and most important venue of the Handball World Championship 2027.
With a capacity of 19,250 spectators, it will host two main round groups and the entire knockout stage. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, placement matches, bronze-medal match and final will all be played in Cologne.
The arena has become one of the most recognisable venues in international handball and is often referred to as the “Cathedral of Handball.” It has hosted the EHF Champions League Final4 since 2010 and was also the main venue during EHF EURO 2024.
For German supporters, Cologne is closely associated with one of the most famous moments in the country’s handball history. Germany won the 2007 World Championship final here, defeating Poland 29:24. Twenty years later, a world champion will again be crowned in Cologne.
Which World Championship matches take place in Cologne?
Cologne hosts:
- Main Round Group I
- Main Round Group II
- all four quarter-finals
- both semi-finals
- placement matches for positions 5–8
- third-place match
- World Championship final
The final takes place at the LANXESS Arena on 31 January 2027.
Where will Germany play at the 2027 Handball World Championship?
Germany has a predefined route through the tournament.
The host begins in Munich, where all three Group A preliminary round matches are played at the SAP Garden.
If Germany reaches the main round, it will move to Cologne rather than Hanover. Should the German team finish among the top two in its main round group, it will remain at the LANXESS Arena for the quarter-finals and any subsequent matches.
Germany’s possible route is therefore:
Munich → Cologne → Quarter-finals → Semi-finals → Final
This makes Munich and Cologne the two most important host cities for supporters planning to follow Germany throughout the tournament.
Preliminary Round venues
Four host cities are used during the first stage of the competition:
Munich: Groups A and C
Stuttgart: Groups B and D
Kiel: Groups E and G
Magdeburg: Groups F and H
A total of 32 teams start the World Championship in eight groups of four. The three best teams from each group advance to the main round.
Main Round venues
Only two cities host main round matches.
Cologne receives the qualifying teams from preliminary Groups A to D, while Hanover hosts the qualifiers from Groups E to H.
The 24 remaining teams are divided into four groups of six. The first and second-placed teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals.
From that point onwards, every remaining contender moves to Cologne.
One tournament, six different handball cities
The choice of venues reflects the importance of handball across Germany. Kiel and Magdeburg are traditional Bundesliga strongholds, Stuttgart has extensive experience with international tournaments, Hanover provides a large main-round arena and Munich contributes one of the newest indoor venues in Europe.
Cologne provides the final destination. With the largest arena of the tournament and a long history of major handball finals, the city will become the centre of the Handball World Championship during the decisive final week.
Together, the six Handball World Championship 2027 host cities provide a mixture of handball tradition, modern infrastructure and large crowds. From the opening matches in Munich to the final in Cologne, the tournament will travel through some of Germany’s most important handball locations before the new world champion is crowned on 31 January 2027.