From A for arrival to Z for ceremonies:
How fans can best prepare for their World Cup visit
The BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2026 in Oberhof will kick off with the opening ceremony on the town square in Oberhof on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Over the following four days, six exciting competitions will be held in front of thousands of fans in the ARENA am Rennsteig. Here is the most important information for a perfect winter sports day in the Rennsteig town.
Getting there & parking:
On the four competition days (January 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2026) of the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2026, there will be no parking available for private vehicles in Oberhof. From Tuesday, January 6, 2026, to Sunday, January 11, 2026, the L1128 state road between the Oberhof town exit in the direction of Grenzadler and Café Kanzlersgrund will be completely closed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fans are requested to use the designated P+R parking lots in Ohrdruf (fairground at Ehrenstein Castle), in Steinbach-Hallenberg (Wolffstraße/sports field), in Suhl-Nord (Rennsteigstraße/Family Center and Ringbergstraße) and in Zella-Mehlis/RABA (Am Schießstand 15, 98544 Zella-Mehlis). On the weekend (January 10/11, 2026), in addition to the P+R parking lots mentioned above, the parking lot at the Storck company in Ohrdruf (Herrenhöfer Landstraße 5, 99885 Ohrdruf) will also be available. All detailed information and coordinates can be found at www.biathlon-oberhof.de.
Shuttles:
Visitors will be transported free of charge by shuttle bus from the designated P+R parking lots to the ARENA am Rennsteig and back to the parking lots after the competitions. The shuttles will run at the following times:
Thursday, January 8, 2026: 11:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 9, 2026: 11:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026: 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 7:30 p.m.
Free shuttle buses will run between Oberhof town center and the ARENA am Rennsteig at the following times:
Thursday, January 8, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 9, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle until 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle until 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. & late shuttle service until 7:30 p.m.
Please note: There will be no shuttle bus service during the competitions.
After the competitions have ended, fans can decide whether they want to return directly to their cars in the P+R parking lots or first drive to Oberhof to attend the award ceremonies in the town square and/or visit the party tent in the town square. The last shuttle bus back to the P+R car parks leaves at 7:30 p.m. (Thursday, January 8, 2026 & Sunday, January 11, 2026) and 10:30 p.m. (Friday, January 9, 2026 & Saturday, January 10, 2026) from the Oberhof bus station.
Opening ceremony:
The opening ceremony of the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2026 in Oberhof will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. on the town square in Oberhof. Athletes from 27 nations are invited to attend the opening ceremony. Fans can also look forward to a great atmosphere with music and exciting interviews with guests from the worlds of sport and politics.
Attendance at the opening ceremony is free of charge. Parking is available in Oberhof on the day of the opening ceremony. The Gründle 1, Gründle 2, and Gründle 3 parking lots, among others, are available.
The organizer would like to point out that Tambacher Straße from the Oberhof town limits to Kanzlersgrund and the area around the border eagle will be completely closed on the day of the opening ceremony. Fans coming from Schmalkalden and Steinbach-Hallenberg are advised to use the designated detour via Zella-Mehlis. It is recommended that you arrive in good time.
Event village:
The event village on the Grenzadler above the ARENA am Rennsteig invites fans to linger before and after the competitions. Here they can stock up on food and drinks – from Thuringian bratwurst to langos and fries to pulled pork and soups – as well as fan merchandise and regional souvenirs.
Entertainment is provided on the Thuringian Forest event stage. On Thursday, January 8, 2025, the Rehbachtaler Musikanten will perform. The two-man party band “Mitchy & André,” known from the TV show “The Voice of Germany,” has announced that it will perform on Friday, January 9, 2026, and Saturday, January 10, 2026. And on Sunday, January 11, 2026, the Mountain Crew will take the stage. After the competitions, the after-race parties invite you to linger in the event village.
Opening hours of the event site with event village:
Thursday, January 8, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday, January 9, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
ARENA am Rennsteig supporting program:
At ARENA am Rennsteig, the well-coordinated team, including stadium announcer Niclas Fuchs, the presenter duo Adi Rückewold and René Pfeuffer, and “DJ Charly,” will ensure a great atmosphere. Fans can look forward to a colorful mix of sports expertise and entertainment.
The ARENA am Rennsteig will be open at the following times:
Thursday, January 8, 2026: 12:30 p.m.
Friday, January 9, 2026: 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026: 9:00 a.m.
The party band “BiBa & Die Butzemänner” will be playing in the visitor tent at the ARENA am Rennsteig on all competition days.
The visitor tent will be open at the following times:
Thursday, January 8, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, January 9, 2026: 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2026: 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Supporting program at Oberhof town square:
Fans in Oberhof can look forward to an atmospheric winter market: from mulled wine and other hot drinks to classic Thuringian bratwurst, steak, fries, and crêpes to cinnamon rolls, wooden jewelry, fan merchandise, and winter accessories, there is something for every taste. The offer is complemented by the Regionalverbund Thüringer Wald e.V., which presents the Thuringian Forest as an attractive holiday destination. The winter market is open from Wednesday (January 7, 2026) to Saturday (January 10, 2026) from 4 p.m. until the end of the stage program on the town square and on Sunday (January 11, 2026) from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Those who want to party into the night will find what they are looking for at the Oberhofer Kur-Stadl on the town square in Oberhof. From Wednesday (January 7, 2026) to Saturday (January 10, 2026), the party guarantee “Rockpirat” and hut DJs will provide the entertainment, and on Sunday (January 11, 2026), the après-party is on the program. The Oberhofer Kur-Stadl opens at 3 p.m. each day.
Stadium regulations:
The following information applies to visits to the ARENA am Rennsteig. Backpacks containing drinks in plastic bottles and thermos flasks with a maximum capacity of 1 liter, as well as food, are permitted. Alcoholic beverages, drugs, cans, glass containers, glass bottles, and jugs are prohibited. Bladed weapons, private drones, pyrotechnics, sleds, spray cans, animals, and tools are also not permitted. Fans are asked to take special care of their personal belongings during their visit and not to leave backpacks or bags unattended.
Tickets:
Currently, around 50,000 tickets have been sold for the four days of competition. The men's pursuit race and the women's relay on Saturday, January 10, 2026, are already sold out. Tickets in various categories are still available for the remaining competition days. They can be purchased in the ticket shop at tickets.events-oberhof.de and conveniently printed at home. There will also be a box office on site with remaining tickets.
Competitions:
Six competitions will take place over the four days of the World Cup.
Thursday, January 8, 2026, 2:10 p.m. Men's sprint
Friday, January 9, 2026, 2:25 p.m. Women's sprint
Saturday, January 10, 2026 12:00 p.m. Men's Pursuit
2:25 p.m. Women's Relay
Sunday, January 11, 2026 11:00 a.m. Men's Relay
2:30 p.m. Women's Pursuit
Ceremonies:
The flower ceremonies will take place immediately after the competitions in the ARENA am Rennsteig. The official award ceremonies for the sprint races will take place on Friday, January 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. (warm-up from 7 p.m.) on the town square in Oberhof. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, the winners of the men's pursuit race and the women's relay will be honored at 7:30 p.m. (warm-up from 7 p.m.) on the town square in Oberhof.
Photos for your free use:
Photos: Biathlon fans (1) & Biathlon fans (2)
Caption: Over 50,000 fans are expected at the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup 2026 in Oberhof, both in the ARENA am Rennsteig and along the course.
Photo source: Christian Heilwagen/Oberhofer Sport und Event GmbH