The Detroit Lions’ Nov. 15 game against the New England Patriots in Munich will be the franchise’s first international game in more than a decade. For game week, the team has announced public events featuring Detroit artists and Eminem’s Mom’s Spaghetti, according to the Detroit Lions.
The main public gathering will be a two-day Fan Fest presented by Ford at Odeonsplatz, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, and Saturday, Nov. 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, according to the Lions. Kevin Saunderson is set to perform at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by Big Sean at 5 p.m. Saturday. The event will also include giveaways, beer, food trucks and photo opportunities with Lions legends, MLive reported.
One of those food trucks belongs to Eminem himself. Mom's Spaghetti, the Detroit rapper's own venture, will set up a pop-up stand at the Fan Fest both days, serving pasta and spaghetti sandwiches alongside limited-edition Mom's x Detroit Lions merchandise, the team's announcement notes.
A Fan Pub Takes Over Hofbräuhaus
The Lions will also host a Fan Pub at Hofbräuhaus from Nov. 12 through Nov. 15, open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight, according to the team’s announcement. The venue will be given a Detroit Lions theme for the four-day event.
The Fan Fest itself will also carry plenty of hometown flavor, with appearances from Lions Legends, the Detroit Lions Cheerleaders, mascot Theo Gridiron and more family-friendly games and giveaways, according to FOX 2 Detroit. The idea is to recreate a slice of Ford Field thousands of miles from home for the team's trip across the Atlantic.
Building a Fan Base Beyond Detroit
The Munich blitz is part of a broader push the Lions have been running since 2024, when the team began activating in the DACH region through the NFL's Global Markets Program to build brand awareness overseas, as noted by Detroit Lions. Germany is fertile ground for that effort: the country has the largest NFL fan base in Europe, with more than 20 million fans, per The Athletic.
The Lions-Patriots game will be the sixth regular-season NFL contest played in Germany and the third in Munich specifically, following games between the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 and the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers in 2024, The Athletic reports. The matchup is also part of a record-breaking 2026 international slate, with nine games spread across four continents, seven countries and eight stadiums, according to patriots.com.
Munich’s NFL history and Detroit’s last trip abroad
Bundesliga’s historical list places NFL regular-season games at Allianz Arena in Munich in both 2022 and 2024. The 2022 game, a 21-16 Tampa Bay win over Seattle on Nov. 13, drew 69,811 fans; the list does not give an attendance figure for the 2024 Giants-Panthers game. The same record lists five Germany games from 2022 through 2025: one in 2022, two in Frankfurt in 2023, one in Munich in 2024 and one in Berlin in 2025, according to Bundesliga. For Detroit, the previous overseas game was a 45-10 loss to Kansas City at Wembley Stadium in London on Nov. 1, 2015, according to Wembley Stadium. The Germany list shows one game in each of 2024 and 2025, with the venue moving from Munich to Berlin; the Patriots’ announcement cited above describes the 2026 international slate as nine games overall.
New Membership Platform Launches Ahead of the Trip
Fans don't have to wait until kickoff to join in. The Lions are rolling out free access to One Pride Worldwide, the team's new global fan membership hub, starting Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. ET, Detroit Lions reported via Detroit Lions. The platform is designed to connect international supporters with the franchise year-round, not just during game week in Munich.
For those attending in person, the team is urging fans to plan ahead on logistics. Parking near the Fan Fest grounds is extremely limited, the Lions said, and fans are encouraged to rely on public transportation or rideshare services to get to the events.
