Korean BBQ Stations, Saunas and Other Unique Stadium Features from Abroad

Earlier this week we stumbled upon a Tweet featuring a photo of a fan in a Korean baseball stadium sitting in the “grill your own meat” section. One of the country’s finest culinary traditions had found a home at the ballpark. Peanuts and Cracker Jacks eat your heart out. 

This particular activation, known as “The BBQ Zone,” is available at Munhak Stadium, home to the Incheon Landers. Fans can rent out the tools and equipment to BBQ while simultaneously watching the game. Food and entertainment, with a little added elbow grease: an attraction for baseball fans and culinary enthusiasts alike.

This got us thinking about what other stadium features and in-game activations surprise and delight fans across the globe. Below we’ve rounded up some of our favorites that will hopefully serve as inspiration when thinking about your own programming and activations for upcoming seasons. 

Roland Garros Greenhouse

The iconic home of the French Open was in need of renovations in the mid 2010s and someone had the brilliant idea to incorporate the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil, a botanical garden built in 1898 that lives right next door. The idea was to surround a new court named after French tennis legend Simonne Mathieu with rare flowers and plants from all over the world, incorporating the Jardin’s greenhouses with the stadium itself. If you fancy catching a match and then checking out birds of paradise and orchids, this is your place. 

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters Saunas

The Japanese baseball team’s stadium has a unique amenity on the fourth floor behind the left field bleachers: a full onsen. The traditional Japanese hot spring experience is taken out to the ball game with natural hot springs, baths and saunas. There are separate areas for men and women in need of some R&R after an especially tense game. 

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The North London club recently moved into their new world-class stadium, which comes equipped with an insane number of bells and whistles. Aside from the world’s first dividing, retractable football pitch (which stows a field for American football underneath), fans can also find an F1-backed go kart track, a contemporary art gallery dedicated to the relationship between art and football, and a skywalk where brave fans can climb to the top of the stadium.

Avicii Arena Sky View

The Avicii Arena, formerly known as the Ericsson Globe, was the Las Vegas Sphere before the Las Vegas Sphere. The largest spherical building on earth plays home to concerts and ice hockey matches. What puts Avicii Arena on our list, however, is their Sky View experience: funicular-like domes that traverse the outside of the building to allow for Stockholm skyline views. 

Allianz Arena

Home to the German Giants Bayern Munich, the Allianz Arena is one of the more imposing stadiums on the planet thanks to its quilted outer layer and spartan surrounding area. The arena has also implemented a piece of everyday technology to great effect: an app. They use said app for a variety of expected tasks (like housing tickets and registering license plates for parking), but we’re interested in it because you can use the app to pre-order food at select vendors throughout the stadium. No waiting in line, no missed game time. 

Nürburbring Race Track

The famous race track in the west of Germany is home to a wide variety of events, from GT racing to truck racing and many more. They also happen to have their own esports bar with racing simulators along with food and drink. Live events and eSports go hand in hand, and the bar is even available to rent out for private events.