Football: An Overview of the Popular Sport - Thousands of enthusiasts gather for a festive celebration of rail travel at Munich's EM event.
Right before the European Championship commences, Munich was filled with enthusiastic fans. Wednesdays' EM Fanfest attracted tens of thousands on Theresienwiese. The organizers estimated a turnout of 60,000 people. Mark Forster amazed the crowd on stage, telling them how "gorgeous" they were and singing about a "wonderful summer." Nelly Furtado and Ed Sheeran were set to follow Mark Forster's performance. The police reported a peaceful day; even though the event drew a hefty crowd, it remained incredibly quiet.
The festival had originally planned for 90,000 attendees, but the numbers were scaled back by an impressive 30,000. A representative from FKP Scorpio Concert Productions explained, "Initially, we were expecting 90,000, but we adjusted the site before the Fanfest." While some sported their team jerseys or painted their faces German flag colors, these fans only formed a small portion of the crowd.
The European Championship kicks off with the opening match between Germany and Scotland right here in Munich on Friday. As tournament director, Philipp Lahm stated, "Music and sports unite people," emphasizing the significance of this unity for "our civil society and our democracy."
