Arena Riga
Arena Riga (Latvian: Arēna Rīga) is an indoor arena in Riga, Latvia. It is primarily used for ice hockey, basketball and concerts. Arena Riga holds a maximum of 14,500 and was opened on 15 February 2006.[1]
Arena Riga during the 2021 IIHF World Championship | |
| Location | Riga, Latvia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 56°58′4.65″N 24°7′16.84″E / 56.9679583°N 24.1213444°E |
| Capacity | 14,500 (concerts) 11,200 (basketball) 10,300 (ice hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 17 June 2004 |
| Built | 1 February 2006 |
| Opened | 15 February 2006 |
| Construction cost | Ls 20 million EUR € 28.5 million |
| Architect |
|
| General contractor | SIA Merks |
| Tenants | |
| Latvia men's national ice hockey team (2006–present) Latvia men's national basketball team (2006–present) Latvia women's national basketball team (2006–present) Dinamo Riga (KHL) (2008–2022) BC VEF Rīga (2009–present) Riga Masters (snooker) (2014–2019) LNK Fight Night (2017–2020) Barons LMT (BBL/LBL) (2006–2009) ASK Riga (BBL/LBL) (2006–2009) BC Prometey (Eurocup) (2022-present) | |
It was built to be used as one of the venues for the 2006 IIHF World Championship, the other being Skonto Arena. The arena was designed by the Canadian company SCI Architects and Latvian firms SIA Merks and SIA Nams.[2][3]
History Edit
The 11,000-seat arena was constructed as a requirement for hosting the 2006 IIHF World Championship. Its construction overseen by Latvian Ice Hockey Federation president Kirovs Lipmans was delayed due to disagreements on the construction contract and finding an investor to fund the project. The Baltic Times reported that Lipmans was to blame for the delays, and that he was asked to resign for a conflict of interest in owning shares in the arena's management company.[4]
It has been home to the Latvian national ice hockey team ever since and the Kontinental Hockey League club Dinamo Riga since 2008, as well as the Latvian men's and women's national basketball teams since 2006.
During the years the arena has also hosted many well-known artists from all over the world. A part of the events of the 2006 NATO Summit also took place in the venue.
The arena hosted the matches of EuroBasket Women 2009, EuroBasket Women 2019 and 'D' group of Eurobasket 2015.
The arena will host matches for the EuroBasket 2025 including the final phase.
Notable events Edit
- 2006 IIHF World Championship
- Sensation White 2007
- IIHF Continental Cup 2008
- 2008 IIHF World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – Division I
- EuroBasket Women 2009
- Dinamo Riga vs. Phoenix Coyotes 2010
- 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
- 2012 Kontinental Hockey League All-Star Game
- 2013 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
- 8th World Choir Games 2014
- EuroBasket 2015
- 2016 European Wrestling Championships
- 2016 Men's World Floorball Championships
- Eurovision Choir of the Year 2017
- World Boxing Super Series 2017–18, 2018–19
- 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships – Division I A
- 2018 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
- 2019 UEFA Under-19 Futsal Championship
- EuroBasket Women 2019 (partially held in Serbia)
- 2019 Fed Cup ( Latvia vs Germany)
- 2021 IIHF World Championship
- 2021 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup
- 2022 UEFA Futsal Champions League Finals
- 2023 Davis Cup ( Latvia vs Israel)
- 2023 IIHF World Championship (partially held in Finland)
- EuroBasket 2025
Concerts in Arena Riga Edit
- 2Cellos
- Thirty Seconds to Mars
- A-ha
- Adam Tensta
- Al Bano
- Alla Pugacheva
- Apocalyptica
- Avril Lavigne
- Backstreet Boys
- Bastille
- Billy Idol
- Björk
- Bryan Adams
- Bonnie Tyler
- Chris Norman
- Chris Rea
- Citi Zēni
- Combichrist
- David Guetta
- DDT
- Deep Purple
- Depeche Mode
- Dmitri Hvorostovsky
- Ed Sheeran
- Elena Vaenga
- Elton John
- Enrique Iglesias
- Eric Clapton
- Eros Ramazzotti
- Faithless
- Glenn Miller Orchestra
- Gojira
- Golden Ring
- Gotan Project
- Gregorian
- Grigory Leps
- Gustavo
- Hurts
- Iggy and The Stooges
- Imagine Dragons
- Instrumenti
- Iron Maiden
- James Blunt
- James Brown
- Jean Michel Jarre
- Katie Melua
- Katy Perry
- KISS
- Korn
- Kylie Minogue
- Lana Del Rey
- Lenny Kravitz
- Limp Bizkit
- Linkin Park
- Lou Reed
- Louis Tomlinson
- Luis Fonsi
- MakSim
- Mariah Carey
- Marilyn Manson
- Mashina Vremeni
- Metallica
- Mika
- Mireille Mathieu
- Mumiy Troll
- Muse
- Nazareth
- Nikolay Baskov
- Nine Inch Nails
- Okean Elzy
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Patricia Kaas
- Paul Mauriat
- Pet Shop Boys
- Philipp Kirkorov
- Pink
- Placebo
- Redfoo
- Prāta Vētra
- Queen + Paul Rodgers
- R.E.M.
- Rammstein
- Rihanna
- Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
- Robbie Williams
- Scorpions
- Seal
- Sex Pistols
- Sigur Rós
- Simply Red
- Sofia Rotaru
- Smokie
- Suzi Quatro
- Sting
- Tiësto
- Tokio Hotel
- Toto Cutugno
- Thriller – Live
- The Orchestra
- Valery Meladze
- Vanessa-Mae
- We Are Scientists
- Verka Serduchka
- Vitas
- Zemfira
- Zveri
See also Edit
References Edit
- ^ "Arēna Rīga – History". Arēna Rīga. from the original on 8 February 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ "Arena Riga – Riga, Latvia : SCI Architects". sciarch.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ SIA Merks. "Multi-functional hall Arēna Rīga – Merks". from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ Eglitis, Aaron (8 April 2004). "Hockey arena project in peril". The Baltic Times. Riga, Latvia.
External links Edit
- Official website
- Arena Riga at Hockeyarenas.net ()
- Arena Riga at worldstadiums.com 20 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine