“An Entire Ice Hockey Season Within 17 Days”
From May 15 to 31, the 2026 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships will take place in Zurich and Fribourg. In a short interview, Peter Zahner, CEO of ZSC Lions AG, speaks about the challenges and significance of the event for the Swiss Life Arena.
Zahner: There will be 34 games taking place in just 17 days. In terms of the number of games, we are essentially playing a full home ice hockey season within that period. This is a major challenge for the entire infrastructure of the Swiss Life Arena and for everyone involved. The World Cup organizing committee has done an excellent job, and I am very confident that everything will run smoothly from an organizational standpoint. We expect many sold-out games and an outstanding atmosphere here in Zurich but also in Fribourg.
stadiaworld: The arena was designed and built specifically for this type of major event. Were any infrastructural adjustments or changes still necessary? What special requirements does a IIHF World Championship bring?
Zahner: Any event of this magnitude comes with many requirements. A new arena is primarily built for league fixtures and day-to-day operations such as third-party events. With the World Cup in mind, we have permanently constructed two additional team locker rooms with corresponding ancillary spaces, ensuring sustainability in this area. In addition, temporary structures will be built for TV production, TV studios, media facilities, and the fan zone.
stadiaworld: What long-term effects do you expect beyond the tournament – for example in terms of utilization, partnerships, or international visibility?
Zahner: The Swiss Life Arena is now well known throughout Europe. Nevertheless, many spectators, business clients, sponsors, media representatives, etc. will be visiting the arena for the first time. The brand will be strengthened, and the arena will become attractive to many stakeholder groups. International visibility will be very high– not just for us with the arena, but also for the city of Zurich and Switzerland in general.
stadiaworld: The World Handball Championship in 2028 is already on the horizon. To what extent are the two tournaments comparable? How do you approach these two events from an infrastructural perspective?
Zahner: The two major sporting events are absolutely comparable. Attendance levels and organizational requirements are very similar, if not identical. The main differences are that the Handball World Championship will be slightly shorter, fewer matches will take place in Zurich (Spain and Portugal are co-hosts) and, naturally, we will not face the challenge of ice quality for two or three matches on the same day. (stadiaworld, 24.04.2026)
