Lidl Final4

On a spring weekend each year, Cologne-Deutz belongs to handball: Outside the LANXESS arena, jerseys and scarves in four club colors mingle, fan chants overlap—and inside, supporters sit side by side even though their teams will soon be facing each other. At the Lidl Final4, the final tournament for the DHB Cup, the competition’s last four teams meet: in two semi-finals on the first day, followed by the third-place play-off and the final the next day.

Nearly 20,000 people fill the arena. Drumming and singing continue throughout—and a large share of the crowd comes for the tournament itself, rather than for any particular club.

DHB Cup: from Hamburg to the Rhine

Since 1993, the DHB Cup has been awarded in a final tournament: the inaugural event took place in Frankfurt, and from 1994 Hamburg hosted it for almost three decades. In 2023, the Final4 moved to Cologne—where the Handball Bundesliga, the event organizer, is also based. The matches take place right in the heart of the city: from Cologne Cathedral, it is just a walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge to Deutz.

Tip: Want more? Cologne hosts a second Final4 as well—since 2010, the LANXESS arena has also been the venue for the EHF FINAL4 of the Champions League.