| Budapest Sportaréna | |
| Nickname: | Budapest Sports Aréna |
| Fullname: | Papp László Budapest Sportaréna |
| Location: | Budapest, Hungary |
| Coordinates: | 47.5019°N 19.1054°W |
| Broke Ground: | 30 June 2001 |
| Opened: | 13 March 2003 |
| Operator: | BSÜ Bouygues |
| Architect: | KÖZTI Sport Concepts |
| Capacity: | 11,390 (boxing) 12,000 (handball) 9,479 (ice hockey) 12,500 (concerts) |
| Tenants: | Hungary men's national ice hockey team |
The László Papp Budapest Sports Arena (Hungarian: Papp László Budapest Sportaréna), also known as Budapest Sports Arena or locally just Arena, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Budapest, Hungary. It is the second biggest sports complex in the country after MVM Dome, which is also in the capital, and it is named after Hungarian boxer László Papp. The venue can hold up to 12,500 people in its largest concert configuration, up to 11,390 for boxing and 9,479 for ice hockey. It was built as a replacement for the Budapest Sports Hall (Hungarian: [[Budapest Sportcsarnok]], or BS for short) which stood in the same place and was destroyed in a fire in December 1999. A long-distance bus station is situated under the building.
Construction of the arena began on 30 June 2001, after the original, the Budapest Sportcsarnok, built in 1982, burnt to the ground on 15 December 1999. The hall was finished quickly, within a year and a half, and the opening ceremony was held on 13 March 2003. Since 28 May 2004, the arena wears the name of Hungarian boxing great László Papp and is officially known as Papp László Budapest Sports Arena.[1]
The building has a total weight of 200,000 tons and contains 50,000 tons of concrete, 2,300 tons of steel structure, more than 11,000,000 bolts and several kilometres of cable.
The state-of-the-art multifunctional plaza is capable of hosting almost any sort of sporting or civic event, such as basketball, gymnastics, ice skating and ice hockey, and other athletics events. It can also host extreme or thrilling events like monster trucks, motocross, jet-skiing or indoor wave surfing competitions.[2] The arena also is the top venue in the area for touring international musicians and performers, as well as dance recitals, operas, dramas, circuses, musicals and a variety of other special events.
The first major international event held in the arena was the 2003 IIHF World Championship Division I, in which the hosts finished third. Next year the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships was organized in the hall between 5 and 7 March, followed by the final rounds and placement matches of the 2004 European Women's Handball Championship in December. A year later, Budapest Sports Arena hosted the 2005 World Wrestling Championships.
In 2007, the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation celebrated its 80th anniversary with a friendly match against defending Olympic and World champions Sweden, played at the arena. In a closely fought battle, Hungary finally triumphed 2–1 in overtime against the Scandinavians to the delight of their 8,000 fans.[3]
Starting from 2008, every year in the Budapest Sports Arena takes place the Tennis Classics, an exhibition tennis tournament with participation of former and current tennis aces. During the years, Budapest welcomed players like Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl or Thomas Muster and reigning stars, such as Robin Söderling and Tomáš Berdych.[4] In addition, beside the Főnix Hall in Debrecen, Budapest Sports Arena was the other host venue of the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship.[5]
Between 17 and 23 April 2011, the arena was the home of the 2011 IIHF World Championship Division I. The event enjoyed particular attention by the fans throughout the week and the number of 8700 spectators that attended on the decisive last-round match between Hungary and Italy is close to equal to the figures produced by the top division World Championship final, held a week later in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Following the decision of the European Handball Federation Executive Committee, the organization rights of the 2014 European Women's Handball Championship were awarded to Croatia and Hungary. Budapest Sports Arena was set to host the conclusive stage of the tournament, including the semifinals, the bronze medal match and final.[6] [7]
The Final Four of the Women's EHF Champions League has been annually taking place in the arena since 2014.[8]
The 2017 World Judo Championships was also held in the Arena.
At the 2022 European Men's Handball Championship and for the next main handball events in Hungary, the arena is replaced by the New Budapest Arena.
The building is protected by several fire safety systems. One of these is the protection alarm system, which in the event of a fire gives off the alarm within three seconds. The Budapest Sports Arena is also equipped with a fire hydrant system that, in the case of a catastrophe, can be used at more than sixty positions in the building. Every point of the arena can be reached with the help of the fire hoses. As a unique feature in Hungary, the building also contains three high-output water cannons. All three are positioned in the auditorium protecting the area that caused the destruction of the arena's predecessor. The Arena also has numerous fire doors that automatically lock in the case of a fire, so preventing the further spreading of a fire.
| Concerts at László Papp Budapest Sports Arena[9] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Artists | Event | |
| 2003 | |||
| 23 April | Bryan Adams | ||
| 15 May | Paul McCartney | ||
| 4 June | Harlem Globetrotters | ||
| 18 June | Yes | ||
| 23 June | Dave Gahan | ||
| 16 October | Eros Ramazzotti | ||
| 24 October | Bob Dylan | Never Ending Tour 2003 | |
| 3 November | Robbie Williams | Cock of Justice Tour | |
| 18 November | Deep Purple | ||
| 2004 | |||
| 23 March | Limp Bizkit | ||
| 3 April | Buena Vista Social Club | ||
| 5 April | Pink | Try This Tour | |
| 25 April | Ennio Morricone | ||
| 15 May | Peter Gabriel | ||
| 23 May | Britney Spears | The Onyx Hotel Tour | |
| 2 June | Cher | The Farewell Tour | |
| 21 July | Santana | ||
| 8 September | Sarah Brightman | Harem World Tour | |
| 4 December | David Copperfield | ||
| 9 December | Diana Krall | ||
| 2005 | |||
| 22 January | R.E.M. | ||
| 17 February | Anastacia | Live at Last Tour | |
| 26 February | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 27 February | Rammstein | ||
| 17 April | Seal | ||
| 23 April | Queen + Paul Rodgers | 2005 - 2006 Tour | |
| 4 May | Mark Knopfler | ||
| 24 May | Joe Cocker | ||
| 5 June | Avril Lavigne | Bonez Tour | |
| 8 June | Duran Duran | ||
| 9 June | Green Day | ||
| 23 August | Marilyn Manson | ||
| 26 October | Phil Collins | ||
| 12 November | Tiësto | ||
| 4 December | Simple Red | ||
| 2006 | |||
| 26 February | Deep Purple | ||
| 5 March | Chris Rea | ||
| 21 March | Depeche Mode | ||
| 10 April | Liza Minnelli | ||
| 22 April | Eros Ramazzotti | ||
| 23 May | Il Divo | ||
| 24 May | Ricky Martin | ||
| 31 May | Guns N' Roses | Chinese Democracy Tour | |
| 19 June | 50 Cent | ||
| 20 June | Sting | ||
| 18 July | Eric Clapton | ||
| 21 November | Bryan Adams | ||
| 29 November | Aida | ||
| 2007 | |||
| 5 March | Shakira | Oral Fixation Tour | |
| 14 April | Roger Waters | The Dark Side of the Moon Live | |
| 16 September | Black Eyed Peas | Black Blue & You Tour | |
| 10 October | Muse | Black Holes and Revelations Tour | |
| 19 October | Gwen Stefani | The Sweet Escape Tour | |
| 30–31 October | Cirque du Soleil | Delirium | |
| 2008 | |||
| 29 February–1 March | Cirque du Soleil | Delirium | |
| 12 May | Mark Knopfler | ||
| 15 May | Kylie Minogue | KylieX2008 | |
| 10 September | Snoop Dogg | ||
| 23 September | Coldplay | Viva la Vida Tour | |
| 25 October | James Blunt | ||
| 28 October | Queen + Paul Rodgers | Rock the Cosmos Tour | |
| 12 November | Jean Michel Jarre | ||
| 2009 | |||
| 23 March | AC/DC | Black Ice World Tour[10] [11] | |
| 24 March | Pink | Funhouse Tour | |
| 29 April | Beyoncé | I Am... World Tour[12] | |
| 1 July | Dream Theater | ||
| 15 October | ZZ Top | ||
| 11 November | Tom Jones | ||
| 2010 | |||
| 11 January | Depeche Mode | ||
| 16 March | Rammstein | ||
| 24 May | Jean Michel Jarre | ||
| 28 May | Kiss | ||
| 15 September | Placebo | ||
| 1 October | Katy Perry | ||
| 4 October | Ozzy Osbourne | ||
| 6 November | Sting | ||
| 7 November | Lady Gaga | The Monster Ball Tour | |
| 9–12 December | Cirque du Soleil | Saltimbanco | |
| 2011 | |||
| 21 March | Faithless | ||
| 8 April | Slayer - Megadeth | ||
| 5 May | Shakira | The Sun Comes Out World Tour | |
| 1 June | Roxette | ||
| 6 June | Scorpions | ||
| 22 June | Roger Waters | The Wall Live | |
| 30 June | Sting | ||
| 5 July | Santana | ||
| 19 September | George Michael | Symphonicity Tour | |
| 30 September | Britney Spears | Femme Fatale Tour | |
| 10 November | Rammstein | ||
| 23 November | Sade | Sade Live | |
| 8 December | Rihanna | Loud Tour | |
| 2012 | |||
| 17 February | Dream Theater | ||
| 27 March | Loreena McKennitt | ||
| 28 April | The Prodigy | ||
| 29 April | Nightwish | ||
| 15 May | André Rieu | ||
| 17–20 May | Cirque du Soleil | Alegría | |
| 27 June | Julio Iglesias | ||
| 28 June | Duran Duran | ||
| 19 July | Bryan Adams | ||
| 17 October | Dead Can Dance | ||
| 20 November | Muse | ||
| 2013 | |||
| 5–6 February | |||
| 7 February | Slash | ||
| 28 March | Yanni | ||
| 6 April | Vaya Con Dios | ||
| 8 April | Eros Ramazzotti | ||
| 22 June | Mark Knopfler | ||
| 7 November | Bruno Mars | ||
| 8 November | Nickelback | ||
| 9 November | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 2014 | |||
| 15 February | Ennio Morricone | ||
| 17 February | Deep Purple | ||
| 25 April | Robbie Williams | Swings Both Ways Live | |
| 31 May | André Rieu | ||
| 18 October | Kylie Minogue | Kiss Me Once Tour | |
| 2 November | Michael Bublé | To Be Loved Tour[13] | |
| 2015 | |||
| 5 February | Slipknot | ||
| 13–15 February | Cirque du Soleil | Quidam | |
| 19 May | Roxette | ||
| 20 May | André Rieu | ||
| 7 June | OneRepublic | Native Tour[14] [15] | |
| 29–30 August | Violetta | Violetta Live | |
| 22–23 October | Lord of the Dance | ||
| 18 November | Slash | ||
| 23 November | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 12 December | Nightwish | ||
| 2016 | |||
| 17 January | Ennio Morricone | ||
| 29 February | Scorpions | 50th Anniversary Tour[16] | |
| 26 April | Lara Fabian | ||
| 11 May | Hans Zimmer | ||
| 19 May | André Rieu | ||
| 1 June | Black Sabbath | The End Tour[17] | |
| 22 June | Anastacia | Ultimate Collection Tour | |
| 1 September | Red Hot Chili Peppers | The Getaway World Tour[18] | |
| 2 September | |||
| 16 September | Nickelback | No Fixed Address Tour[19] [20] | |
| 9 October | Bryan Adams | ||
| 27 October | The Cure | ||
| 8 November | Ian Gillan | ||
| 10 November | Jean Michel Jarre | ||
| 11 November | Placebo | ||
| 12 December | Eros Ramazzotti | ||
| 29 December | Gloria Gaynor | ||
| 2017 | |||
| 20 January | José Carreras | ||
| 27 February | Lindsey Stirling | ||
| 17 March | Mireille Mathieu | ||
| 3 April | Tini | Got Me Started Tour | |
| 12–14 May | Cirque du Soleil | Varekai | |
| 30 May | Bruno Mars | 24K Magic World Tour | |
| 1 June | Hans Zimmer | ||
| 16 June | André Rieu | ||
| 18 June | Green Day[21] | Revolution Radio Tour | |
| 26 June | Foo Fighters | Concrete and Gold Tour | |
| 13 October | Sting | ||
| 18 October | Ennio Morricone | ||
| 4 November | Queen + Adam Lambert | Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2017-2018 | |
| 5 November | James Newton Howard | ||
| 6 November | Chris Rea | ||
| 13 November | Gorillaz | Humanz Tour | |
| 25 November | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 20 December | Sarah Brightman | ||
| 2018 | |||
| 29 January | Rod Stewart | ||
| 2 February | Depeche Mode | Global Spirit Tour | |
| 18 February | Emeli Sandé | ||
| 21 February | Kraftwerk | ||
| 26 February | Caro Emerald | ||
| 11–12 March | Enrique Iglesias | All the Hits Live | |
| 5 April | Metallica | WorldWired Tour | |
| 8 April | Lara Fabian | ||
| 2 May | Roger Waters | Us + Them Tour | |
| 4 May | Rag'n'Bone Man | ||
| 8 May | James Blunt | The Afterlove Tour | |
| 3 June | Lenny Kravitz | ||
| 17 June | Arcade Fire | ||
| 23 June | Massive Attack | ||
| 24 June | Judas Priest | ||
| 16 July | Quincy Jones | ||
| 15 August | David Helfgott | ||
| 4 September | Ricky Martin | ||
| 10 October | David Garrett | ||
| 20 November | Nightwish | ||
| 19 December | José Carreras | ||
| 2019 | |||
| 18 January | Blake | ||
| 23 January | Ennio Morricone | ||
| 16 February | Guido & Maurizio De Angelis | ||
| 25 February | Nicki Minaj | The Nicki Wrld Tour | |
| 12 March | Mike Shinoda | ||
| 29 March | Loreena McKennitt | ||
| 14 April | Rhoda Scott | ||
| 15 May | Giorgio Moroder | ||
| 24 May | Vanessa-Mae | ||
| 28 May | Muse | ||
| 11 June | Slayer | ||
| 17 June | System of a Down[22] | ||
| 22 June | Tom Jones | ||
| 23 June | Maluma | ||
| 25 June | Backstreet Boys | DNA World Tour | |
| 26 June | Dead Can Dance | A Celebration – Life and Works 1980-2019 | |
| 27 June | Toto | 40 Trips Around The Sun Tour | |
| 2 July | Sting | My Songs Tour | |
| 9 July | Mark Knopfler | Down the Road Wherever Tour | |
| 17 July | Paul Anka | Celebrating 60 Years of Hits - His Way | |
| 17 August | Luis Fonsi | Vida World Tour | |
| 29 September | Il Volo | Musica Tour | |
| 24 October | Eros Ramazzotti | Vita Ce N’è World Tour | |
| 5 October | Boris Brejcha | ||
| 16 November | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 3 December | Ghost | A Pale Tour Named Death | |
| 9 December | Deep Purple | The Long Goodbye Tour | |
| 2020 | |||
| 22 January | Sabaton | ||
| 4 February | Slipknot | We Are Not Your Kind World Tour | |
| 8 February | Dream Theater | ||
| 20 February | Five Finger Death Punch | ||
| 3 March | Mireille Mathieu | ||
| 4 March | Papa Roach | ||
| 2022 | |||
| 11 April | Hans Zimmer | Europe Tour 2022 | |
| 8 May | Dead Can Dance | Europa - 2022 | |
| 11 May | 2Cellos | Dedicated World Tour | |
| 13 May | OneRepublic | ||
| 18 May | Ghost | Imperatour | |
| 24 May | Tool | ||
| 30 May | Scorpions | Rock Believer Tour | |
| 21 June | Korn | ||
| 23 June | Postmodern Jukebox | ||
| 5 July | Five Finger Death Punch | ||
| 11 July | Judas Priest | ||
| 12 July | Pearl Jam | Gigaton Tour | |
| 13 July | Harry Styles | Love On Tour | |
| 14 July | Kiss | End of the Road World Tour | |
| 10 September | Mero | ||
| 27 September | Harlem Globetrotters | Spread Game | |
| 2 October | Sum 41 & Simple Plan | ||
| 15 October | Andrea Bocelli | ||
| 20 October | Lara Fabian | ||
| 25 October | 50 Cent | ||
| 26 October | The Cure | Cure Tour Euro 22 | |
| 27 October | Sting | My Songs | |
| 28 October | Il Divo | ||
| 5 November | Boris Brejcha | ||
| 2023 | |||
| 14 March | Robbie Williams | XXV Tour | |
| 19 April | Eros Ramazotti | ||
| 16 May | Måneskin | Loud Kids Tour Gets Louder | |
| 21 May | Diana Krall | ||
| 22 May | Pentatonix | ||
| 5 June | Hans Zimmer | ||
| 9 July | Manfred Mann's Earth Band | ||
| 16 July | Deep Purple | Whoosh! Tour | |
| 18 July | Hollywood Vampires | ||
| 15 September | Louis Tomlinson | Faith in the Future World Tour | |
| 27 September | Two Steps from Hell | ||
| 9 October | Il Volo | ||
| 10 October | 5 Seconds of Summer | The 5 Seconds of Summer Show | |
| 18 October | 50 Cent | The Final Lap Tour | |
| 20 November | Black Veil Brides | ||
| 29 November | José Carreras | ||
| 2024 | |||
| 16 January | The King's Singers | When You Wish Upon A Star | |
| 7 March | LP | Love Lines Tour | |
| 17 March | The Rose | Dawn to Dusk Tour | |
| 31 April | Sting | ||
| 13 June | Tool | ||
| 29 June | Scorpions | Love at First Sting Tour | |
| 9 July | Five Finger Death Punch | ||
| 30 July | Lenny Kravitz | Blue Electric Light Tour 2024 | |
| 24 September | Il Divo | 20th Anniversary Tour | |