For the fourth time in Ostrava. For the third time in the Ostrava Arena. The Ice Hockey World Championship is here again!

The three crowns of Sweden, the return of Poland to global competition, our Slovak neighbours, the stars and stripes…

The Ostrava Arena in Vítkovice will host all the Group B matches as well as two quarter-final games. The games will begin on the first day of the tournament (10 May), and the last match in Ostrava will be played on 23 May – after which all the remaining games take place in Prague. The teams competing in Group B are Sweden, the USA, Slovakia, Germany, Latvia, France, Kazakhstan and Poland. This represents a huge milestone for our northern neighbours, as the Polish national team is returning to the World Championship after a long gap of 22 years. The Ostrava Arena has already hosted the IIHF World Championship twice before – in 2004 and 2015 – though Ostrava first hosted the event way back in 1959, at the iconic Josef Kotas ice stadium.

Will the attendance record be broken again?

The two previous World Championships held in Ostrava (2004 and 2015) were exciting and action-packed, and the games attracted record-breaking attendances. In the spring of 2004 over 552 000 tickets were sold in both host cities (Ostrava and Prague). This record lasted ten years before the Belarusian capital Minsk attracted more spectators in 2014 – but just a year later Prague and Ostrava grabbed the record back with a total attendance of 741 690 throughout the 2015 tournament. This record is still in place – but will this year’s tournament see even higher attendances?

We recommend using public transport and special fan car parks

Due to the high level of interest from both local hockey fans and visitors (especially those coming from nearby Slovakia and Poland), there will be some changes in traffic arrangements, including a number of road closures around the arena itself. The tournament organizers have done everything possible to minimize the impact on daily life.

During the tournament, extra tram services will run between the Ostrava Arena (use the “SPORT ARÉNA” stop) and three major districts of the city – the southern suburbs (Dubina, Výškovice), the western suburb of Poruba, and the city centre. Fans can also use a special hockey tram designated with the letter X, whose route runs from the railway station in Vítkovice (Nádraží Vítkovice) to the Ostrava Arena (the “SPORT ARÉNA” stop), Lower Vítkovice, and the Plynárny stop north of the city centre (tram X will run in both directions). You might want to take advantage of a super-convenient special HockeyTicket covering the entire city public transport network; valid for 7 days, a HockeyTicket costs 250 CZK.

The arena can also be reached by city bus services: get off at the “Městský stadion” stop, from where you can take a tram for one stop or simply walk.

Fans travelling by car can use several fan car parks near the Ostrava Arena, located on Závodní Street, Ruská Street (Lipový Dvůr) and in Lower Vítkovice (Dolní Vítkovice, DOV). These P+R-type parking lots can also be used by buses or motorhomes/caravans. The routes to the car parks are clearly marked, and maps are also available on the World Championship website and at the City of Ostrava website. City police officers will be present to help drivers navigate to the fan car parks. The organizers would like to ask motorists not to attempt to park right next to the stadium: this will only cause unnecessary traffic congestion and complications.

This festival of ice hockey is attracting fans to Ostrava from many different countries – and large numbers of visitors will be arriving at Ostrava Airport (mainly passengers on flights from Latvia). The Airport Express bus (which shuttles between the airport and Ostrava city centre) will run at more frequent intervals during the tournament.

Enjoy the fan zone

Visitors can enjoy the large fan zone which has been set up next to the arena. There will be refreshments, large screens showing live broadcasts of the games, plus a range of other great activities and events.

Fans will be able to enter the Ostrava Arena one hour before the start of each match, and the fan zone will be open from 2 p.m. to the end of the evening game (except on days when the arena hosts three games, when the fan zone will open from 11 a.m.). Most of the games in Ostrava face off at 4.20 p.m. and 8.20 p.m. (The exceptions are on 11 May, 12 May, 18 May and 21 May, when the first game will begin at 12.20 p.m.)

To enter the fan zone, you will need to go through a security check. The organizers recommend that fans do not bring unnecessary items into the zone. A list of prohibited items can be found on each ticket.

Accompanying this text is a map that will help you find your way around during the World Championship, plus other key info - HERE.

All important information is available on the official website 2024.iihfworlds.com (in the “Fan Guide” section) or at www.visitostrava.eu.

We wish all visitors a wonderful stay with us here in Ostrava, and we hope you take home some unforgettable memories!