
The Werkself will land at Cologne/Bonn Airport at around 1.30pm on Sunday. They will then travel in the team bus to Morsbroich Castle to sign the city of Leverkusen's Golden Book. From there, the team will travel to the BayArena in a parade of open-top vehicles.
The route leads from Morsbroich Palace to Gustav-Heinemann-Straße and then along Bismarckstraße to the BayArena.
The approximately 40,000 free tickets for the stands and the interior of the stadium were quickly sold out. The BayArena opens at 12.30pm and the event starts at 1.30pm. We ask all ticket holders to come to the stadium early! This will avoid delays due to long queues at the entrance after the team arrives. Please note that your ticket for the BayArena expires when you leave the stadium after your first entry. For security reasons, it is not possible to re-enter the stadium.
Numerous well-known bands such as Culcha Candela and the Hermes House Band as well as regional artists such as Peter Lorenz and Dirk Maverick will be performing on stage inside the stadium during the course of the afternoon. All information about the musical programme can be found HERE.

As with the Werkself's home matches, payment for food and drinks will be cashless only. Ticket holders are requested to dress appropriately for the weather (rain or sun protection).
There will be offers for travelling to and from the stadium as follows:
How to access the BayArena:
The event at the BayArena ends at 19.04 (7.04pm).

Fans can also join in the celebrations on this special day under the Stelze motorway right next to the BayArena. From there, the events from Morsbroich Palace as well as the Werkself parade and the programme from the BayArena can be followed on large screens. This means that the fans under the bridge will also be able to enjoy all the festivities. No tickets are required for access to this area.
This area also opens at 12.30pm, the programme also starts at 1.30pm and is scheduled to end at 19.04. Cash payments are accepted at the catering stands and cashless payments are also possible at the drinks stands.
There will be offers for travelling to and from the event as follows:
Our partners Früh, Bitburger, Coca-Cola, Monster Energy, Bayer AG, Barmenia, BERGISCHE Krankenkasse and Tipwin will have catering, merchandise and promotional stands on site.
The city of Leverkusen has also put together all the information on "Coming Home". Click here for the overview (in German).
Bayer 04 will be broadcasting the "Coming Home" celebrations live and free of charge in the app, on Werkself-TV and on YouTube. Click here for the livestream!

A special visit to the BayArena: 222 members from volunteer fire brigades in Leverkusen, the Rheinisch-Bergisch district and the Oberbergisch district watched the Werkself’s 2–0 home win over Slovenian champions NK Celje live in the stadium. Bayer 04 had invited them to the 2026/27 Europa League opener as a thank-you for their tremendous dedication. They watched the match together in Block F4.
Show more
The Bayer 04 U19s have extended their winning run with a fifth consecutive victory on Matchday 5 of the DFB Youth League’s preliminary round. Coach Patrick Greveraars’ side secured a 3–2 (2–1) win in their match against second-placed FC Viktoria Köln, with Burak Kir and Nebe Domnic scoring for the hosts in the first half before captain Ben Hawighorst found the net after the break.
Show more
Bayer 04 will have to manage without defender Guéla Doué for the time being. The Ivory Coast international sustained a muscle injury to his right calf during the final Werkself training session yesterday ahead of the Europa League clash with Slovenian champions NK Celje.
Show more
For the first time since reaching the final against AS Roma (2–2, first leg 2–0) in May 2024, Bayer 04 are playing another home match in the UEFA Europa League – and they will be wearing their new European kit. On Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), the BayArena will welcome Slovenian champions NK Celje, who appointed a new coach this week following a mixed start to the season. Under the slogan “40 Years Across Europe. Still Creating History.”, the Black and Reds now aim to add the next chapter to their European history, which has seen so much success in recent years. Bayer 04 fans can follow the match on free-to-air TV on RTL, as well as on Sky and Werkself Radio. The matchday news.
Show more
European football returns to the BayArena: Bayer 04 host Slovenian champions NK Celje on matchday 1 in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. Ahead of the match on Wednesday 16 September (kick-off: 21:00 CEST), head coach Carles Martínez and midfielder Aleix Garcia spoke at the pre-match press conference. The focus was primarily on the great anticipation surrounding the competition and the clear objectives for it – and, given the circumstances, on a last-minute change to the opposition line-up.
Show more