László Papp Budapest Sports Arena

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.

Budapest Sportaréna
Budapest Sports Aréna
Budapest Sports Aréna in September 2016
Map
Full namePapp László Budapest Sportaréna
LocationBudapest, Hungary
Coordinates47°30′6.99″N 19°6′19.41″E / 47.5019417°N 19.1053917°E / 47.5019417; 19.1053917
OperatorBSÜ
Bouygues
Capacity11,390 (boxing)
12,000 (handball)
9,479 (ice hockey)
12,500 (concerts)
Construction
Broke ground30 June 2001
Opened13 March 2003
ArchitectKÖZTI
Sport Concepts
Tenants
Hungary men's national ice hockey team
Website
budapestarena.hu

History

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The box office of the arena (October 2008)
 
Lady Gaga during a concert in the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena (7 November 2010)

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.[1]

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.[2]

Sporting events

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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.

Fire system

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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.

Entertainment events

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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 Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
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 11:11 World Tour
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 Pentatonix: The World Tour
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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Our history". Budapest Sports Arena Official Website. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Event types". Budapest Sports Arena Official Website. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  3. ^ "Legyőzte az olimpia- és világbajnokot a magyar hokiválogatott". Origo.hu (in Hungarian). 29 March 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  4. ^ "Tennis Classics Official Website" (in Hungarian). Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  5. ^ "Hungary awarded next finals". Union of European Football Associations. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  6. ^ "Women's EHF EURO 2014 goes to Hungary and Croatia". European Handball Federation. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  7. ^ "Magyar-horvát Európa-bajnokság lesz!" (in Hungarian). Handball.hu. 9 April 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Női kézi BL: további három évig Budapesten a final four – hivatalos". NSO.hu. 27 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Budapest Aréna". www.budapestarena.hu.
  10. ^ "Egyen megváltás: AC/DC, Budapest 2009.03.23. Papp László Sportaréna". hardrock.hu. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  11. ^ "Mon. 23 Mar. 2009 : Budapest, Hungary (Papp Laszlo Sportarena)". ac-dc.net. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Beyoncé koncert Budapest képek + egy kis beszámoló". poprocks. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  13. ^ "MICHAEL BUBLÉ CONCERT IN BUDAPEST SPORTARÉNA". Hungary Today. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  14. ^ "ONE REPUBLIC KONCERT BUDAPEST - Jegyek a Jegyáruháztól". jegyaruhaz.hu. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  15. ^ "One Republic Aréna koncert 2015". jegytrafik.hu. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  16. ^ "SCORPIONS KONCERT BUDAPEST". SCORPIONS KONCERT BUDAPEST. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  17. ^ "BLACK SABBATH ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN DATES AS PART OF 'THE END' – THE FINAL TOUR". Budapest Arena. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  18. ^ "A RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS 20 ÉV UTÁN". Budapest Arena. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  19. ^ "ELMARAD - NICKELBACK". BudapestArena. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  20. ^ "NICKELBACK KONCERT BUDAPEST 2016 - Papp László Sportaréna". jegyaruhaz.hu. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Budapestre jön a Green Day 2017-ben". Origo. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Tour | System Of A Down". systemofadown.com. 21 May 2017.
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Events and tenants
Preceded by IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
Venue

2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by European Women's Handball Championship
Final venue

2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Madison Square Garden, New York City
and
Palais des Sports Robert Oubron, Créteil
FILA Wrestling World Championships
Venue

2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by European Judo Championships
Venue

2013
Succeeded by
Preceded by FILA Wrestling World Championships
Venue

2013
Succeeded by