Key facts
Club: Helsingborgs IF | Opening: 1898 | Capacity: 16,000
History and description
First plans for the construction of a stadium in the city of Helsingborg arose by the end of the 19th century. The stadium was planned to be a multi-sports venue aimed at athletics, cycling and ice skating, but after the foundation turned out to be unsuitable to hold water for the ice skating rink, a football pitch was installed instead.
Olympia officially opened on 31 July 1898 with a series of sports events, though the planned football match had to be postponed due to the darkness setting in. The stadium was initially named Idrott, but when that name turned out to have already been registered, instead was chosen for Olympia in the spirit of the first modern Olympics.
After Helsingborgs IF was formed in 1907, the club moved directly into Olympia. In the next decade the stadium got gradually upgraded and additional terraces were built in the summer of 1924.
A new main stand was built in 1951, and a few years later, in 1954, Olympia recorded its highest attendance when 26,154 people showed up for the local derby with Malmö FF.
Further improvements to the stadium were made in preparation for the 1958 World Cup, during which it hosted two group matches.
Few changes were made in the following decades until in 1985 the athletics tracks got removed and three new concrete stands were built. Seven years later, in 1992, the stadium opened a new main stand and in 1997 a new East Stand was built.
Finally, between 2014 and 2017 two new stands were built behind the goal that replaced the old terraces.
How to get to Olympia
Olympia is located just east of Helsingborg’s city centre, a 10 minute walk crossing through Kärnanparken park.
The walk from the railway station, which lies on the southern edge of the centre, takes 5 minutes longer. There is frequent direct train service from Malmo (45 mins) and Gothenburg (2.5 hrs). The journey from Stockholm requires a transfer in Lund.
The ferry from Helsingor in Denmark docks near the railway station.
Address: Mellersta Stenbocksgatan, 254 37 Helsingborg
Helsingborgs Tickets
Tickets for Helsingborgs IF games can be bought online, at the club shop at the stadium, or at the gates of the stadium on the day of the match.
Helsingborgs will only sell out the occasional high-profile match.
For more information email biljett@hif.se.
Photos of Olympia
Useful Internet links
Hif.se – Official website of Helsingborgs IF.