Music and singing in football stadiums are not random entertainment. They follow clear patterns. And those patterns vary systematically from country to country.
As a result, the sound of football stadiums differs widely across Europe.
A new study maps the types of music and songs played and sung in stadiums in countries including England, Germany, Spain and Denmark. It also shows how music and chanting become part of the match experience itself.
The research shows significant differences in the music that football fans play, sing and chant across national football cultures. In England, for example, stadium sound is often shaped by spontaneous collective singing, while in Germany it is typically more organized, rhythmic and sustained.
“The differences in stadium sound tell us something about how community, participation and emotion are expressed in different football cultures,” says Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær, Professor at Department of Culture and Communication at Aalborg University in Denmark.
National anthems create identity
Singing and music at club matches are often about showing the opponent that the club and its fanbase are strong and unbeatable.
At international matches, music and singing serve a different purpose. Here, they are almost entirely oriented towards inclusion and community.
“The national identity is one large, overarching category of identity, whereas club identity is more local and typically tied to frequent, regularly recurring matches against specific opponents — including local rivals — who are ‘sung against’,” says Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær.
Spontaneous collective singing in British stadiums
In England, stadium sound is largely characterized by spontaneous communal singing. Songs often arise in the moment and are driven by the fans’ reactions to what is happening on the pitch. Well-known melodies from popular music are given new lyrics and sung in short, intense bursts.
Songs often heard in English stadiums include club-adapted versions of “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In”, “Guantanamera” with new lyrics, and more recent pop songs such as Gala’s “Freed From Desire”, which is used as a victory and celebration song.
The sound is organic and changeable — and may shift several times during a single match.
German fans create organized sound and rhythm
In Germany, stadium sound is typically more organized and sustained. Drums play a major role, and fans often sing the same songs for longer periods of time, led by chant leaders. The result is a more constant and powerful wall of sound.
In German stadiums, fans can hear club anthems such as Bayern Munich’s “Stern des Südens”, while goals are often marked by fixed musical signals — for example Offenbach’s “Can-can”. Here, music functions as a unifying and rhythmic foundation throughout the match.
“Music is not just background noise in the stadium. It is an active part of the match and helps turn each stadium into a unique sonic community,” says Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær.
Facts
The study is part of the book Popular Music and Football, published by Cambridge University Press in May 2026.
Contact
Nicolai Jørgensgaard Graakjær
Professor, Department of Culture and Communication, Aalborg University
Email: nicolaig@ikk.aau.dk
Mobile: +45 9940 9051
Kim Rathcke Jensen
Press advisor
Email: kiraje@adm.aau.dk
Mobile: +45 6196 7166
Fact box: Football matches, singing and music
- Music builds atmosphere. General stadium music such as mainstream pop and rock functions as a kind of “sonic architecture”.
- Music tells the audience what is happening. Team music such as entrance music, goal music and victory music is linked to specific events: players entering the pitch, the home team scoring or the home team winning.
- Music and singing create identity. When the same music is used repeatedly at specific moments, it becomes associated with the club.
- Music gets bodies and communities moving. Music can make people clap, sing, jump and dance together.
- Music creates “us” and “them”. Supporter songs are more than entertainment. They mark affiliation: who we support, who we oppose and who belongs to the community.
Fact box: Music in football stadiums
England
- “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In” — used in club-adapted versions
- “Guantanamera” — with new club- or player-related lyrics
- “Freed From Desire” — Gala, used as a victory and celebration song
- “Glory Glory” — melody from “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, used as a club anthem by several clubs
Germany
- “Stern des Südens” — club anthem, Bayern Munich
- “Infernal Galop” / “Can-can” — Jacques Offenbach, used as goal music by Bayern Munich
- Drum-based chants led by chant leaders and sustained throughout the match
Spain
- “Hala Madrid y Nada Más” — club anthem and goal/entrance music, Real Madrid
- Less continuous communal singing during matches
Denmark
- International pop and rock songs such as Tina Turner’s “The Best”
- Classic, short fan chants adapted to clubs and players
Internationally / many countries
- “Seven Nation Army” — The White Stripes
- “We Will Rock You” — Queen
- “Who Let the Dogs Out” — Baha Men
- “UEFA Champions League Anthem” — official tournament music
Aalborg University (AAU) is a Danish public research university conducting interdisciplinary research across science, engineering, social sciences, humanities and health.
https://www.en.aau.dk/
