About the campaign

Home game for Europe - UV protection at EURO 2024 Source: BMI

EURO 2024 UV safe

Climate change can noticeably influence people's UV exposure. The number of sunny days tends to increase and the dose of UV radiation is increased in sunny years. The warmer weather is also attracting many people outdoors. This also affects sport. Anyone who is active outside or watches sporting events should particularly think about sun protection.

Football, as the favorite sport in Germany, plays an important role here and major events such as EURO 2024 can serve as a role model: celebratory mood in the fan zones of the 10 host cities and sporting euphoria should go hand in hand with easy-to-implement UV protection. The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) is promoting this in all host cities with special campaigns under the motto "EURO 2024 UV-safe".

Avoid, dress, apply sunscreen

Effective protection against too much UV radiation starts with avoiding the blazing sun. But this cannot always be achieved at a football festival. Then protective measure number two helps: you should cover as much skin as possible with clothing, put on sunglasses and protect your head and feet. All areas of the body that are still uncovered should - protective tip three - be generously applied with sunscreen that has a high sun protection factor. The BfS provides information about this triad of “avoid, clothe, apply sunscreen” in the fan zones, among other places. The office also provides free sunscreen dispensers and information on current UV exposure in the fan zones and near the stadiums.

Pay attention to UV index

The UV index is another focus of the "EURO 2024 UV-safe" action program. Since people cannot see, smell or feel UV radiation, the intensity of the radiation is often underestimated. The UV index helps here.

The index is a measure of the intensity of UV radiation. The higher the UV index, the higher the UV irradiance and the faster sunburn can occur on unprotected skin. Sun protection is required from an index value of 3.

Background of the campaign

The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) has been committed to the prevention of UV-related diseases for decades, together with numerous medical, research and radiation protection institutions. The aim is to make conscious use of the sun and UV radiation a matter of course.

The UV protection campaign for EURO 2024 follows on from the BfS's UV campaign from 2023. Sports clubs, but also municipalities, schools and daycare centers were provided with tips on how they can provide more shaded areas and UV protection.