Arena Riga

Indoor arena in Riga, Latvia

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Arena Riga

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 / 56.9679583; 24.1213444
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|

* SCI Architects
* SIA Merks
* SIA Nams

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) (2022–2024)

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]

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]

Ice hockey match between Latvia and Sweden during IIHF WC 2023 Arena Riga during EuroBasket Women 2009.

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.

It will also host matches for the UEFA Futsal Euro 2026.

## 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)
* 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments – Riga
* EuroBasket 2025
* UEFA Futsal Euro 2026

## Concerts in Arena Riga

[edit]

* 2Cellos
* 50 Cent
* 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]

* List of indoor arenas in Latvia
* List of European ice hockey arenas
* List of Kontinental Hockey League arenas

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Arēna Rīga – History". Arēna Rīga. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
2. ^ "Arena Riga – Riga, Latvia : SCI Architects". sciarch.com. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
3. ^ SIA Merks. "Multi-functional hall Arēna Rīga – Merks". Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
4. ^ Eglitis, Aaron (8 April 2004). "Hockey arena project in peril". The Baltic Times. Riga, Latvia.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arena Riga.

* Official website
* Arena Riga at Hockeyarenas.net (archived copy)
* Arena Riga at worldstadiums.com Archived 20 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine

Preceded by

North Shore Events Centre
Auckland

|  FIBA U-19 World Championship
Final Venue
2011 |  Succeeded by

Incumbent

|
|

Preceded by

N/A (first venue)

|  Eurovision Choir
Venue
2017 | Succeeded by

Partille Arena
Gothenburg

Preceded by

Mercedes-Benz Arena
Berlin

|  FIBA EuroBasket
Final Venue
2025 | Succeeded by

TBD

* v
* t
* e

Current arenas in the Kontinental Hockey League

Eastern
Conference|

| Chernyshev Division|

* G-Drive Arena
* Barys Arena
* Fetisov Arena
* Platinum Arena
* Sibir Arena
* Ufa Arena

|

Kharlamov Division|

* Arena Metallurg
* KRK Uralets
* Lada Arena
* Neftekhimik Ice Palace
* TatNeft Arena
* Traktor Ice Arena

Western
Conference|

| Bobrov Division|

* Bolshoy Ice Dome
* KRK Nagorny
* Megasport Sport Palace
* SKA Arena
* Vityaz Ice Palace

|

Tarasov Division|

* Arena 2000
* CSKA Arena
* Ice Palace Cherepovets
* Minsk-Arena
* Mytishchi Arena
* VTB Arena

* v
* t
* e

IIHF World Championship venues

* 1998
* Hallenstadion
* St. Jakobshalle
* 1999
* Håkons Hall
* Jordal Amfi
* Hamar Olympic Amphitheatre
* 2000
* Ice Palace
* Yubileyny
* 2001
* Preussag Arena
* Nuremberg Arena
* Kölnarena
* 2002
* Scandinavium
* Löfbergs Lila Arena
* Kinnarps Arena
* 2003
* Hartwall Arena
* Elysée Arena
* Tampere Ice Stadium
* 2004
* Sazka Arena
* ČEZ Aréna
* 2005
* Wiener Stadthalle
* OlympiaWorld Innsbruck
* 2006
* Arena Riga
* Skonto Hall
* 2007
* Khodynka Arena
* Mytishchi Arena
* 2008
* Colisée Pepsi
* Halifax Metro Centre
* 2009
* PostFinance Arena
* Kolping Arena
* 2010
* Lanxess Arena
* SAP Arena
* Veltins-Arena
* 2011
* Orange Arena
* Steel Aréna
* 2012
* Hartwall Arena
* Ericsson Globe
* 2013
* Ericsson Globe
* Hartwall Areena
* 2014
* Minsk-Arena
* Čyžoŭka-Arena
* 2015
* O2 Arena
* ČEZ Aréna
* 2016
* VTB Ice Palace
* Yubileyny
* 2017
* Lanxess Arena
* AccorHotels Arena
* 2018
* Royal Arena
* Jyske Bank Boxen
* 2019
* Ondrej Nepela Arena
* Steel Aréna
* ~~2020~~
* ~~Hallenstadion~~
* ~~Vaudoise Aréna~~
* 2021
* Arena Riga
* Olympic Sports Centre
* 2022
* Nokia Arena
* Helsinki Ice Hall
* 2023
* Nokia Arena
* Arena Riga
* 2024
* O2 Arena
* Ostravar Aréna
* 2025
* Avicii Arena
* Jyske Bank Boxen
* 2026
* Swiss Life Arena
* BCF Arena
* 2027
* PSD Bank Dome
* SAP Arena

* v
* t
* e

European Arenas Association members

Current
(by region)|

| Central|

* Accor Arena (Paris)
* Barclays Arena (Hamburg)
* Festhalle Frankfurt
* Forest National (Brussels)
* Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle (Stuttgart)
* Olympiahalle (Munich)
* Paris La Défense Arena
* Porsche-Arena (Stuttgart)
* Rockhal (Luxembourg)
* Rotterdam Ahoy
* Uber Arena (Berlin)
* Wiener Stadthalle (Vienna)

|

East|

* Arena Riga
* Gliwice Arena
* O2 Arena (Prague)
* Tauron Arena Kraków
* Twinsbet Arena (Vilnius)
* Unibet Arena (Tallinn)
* Žalgiris Arena (Kaunas)

|

North|

* Malmö Arena
* Scandinavium (Gothenburg)
* Stockholm Live
* Annexet
* Avicii Arena
* Hovet
* Södra Teatern
* Strawberry Arena
* Tele2 Arena
* Unity Arena (Oslo)

|

South|

* Forum di Milano (Milan)
* Hallenstadion (Zurich)
* László Papp Budapest Sports Arena (Budapest)
* MEO Arena (Lisbon)
* Navarra Arena (Pamplona)
* Palacio Vistalegre (Madrid)
* PalaLottomatica (Rome)
* Palau Sant Jordi (Barcelona)
* Roig Arena (Valencia)
* St. Jakobshalle (Basel)
* WiZink Center (Madrid)

|

West|

* AO Arena (Manchester)
* bp pulse LIVE (Birmingham)
* Co-op Live (Manchester)
* The O2 Arena (London)
* OVO Hydro (Glasgow)
* SSE Arena (Belfast)
* Wembley Arena (London)

|

Former|

* Arena Zagreb
* Belgrade Arena
* Főnix Aréna (Debrecen)
* Gatorade Center (Turku)
* Helsinki Halli
* ISS Dome (Düsseldorf)
* Utilita Arena Birmingham

* v
* t
* e

EuroBasket 2015

Stages|

* Group A
* Group B
* Group C
* Group D
* Knockout stage
* Final

General|

* Squads
* Qualification

Venues|

* Arena Riga (Riga)
* Arena Zagreb (Zagreb)
* Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin)
* Sud de France Arena (Montpellier)
* Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille)

Teams|

* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia (host)
* Czech Republic
* Estonia
* Finland
* France (host)
* Georgia
* Germany (host)
* Greece
* Iceland
* Israel
* Italy
* Latvia (host)
* Lithuania
* Macedonia
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Russia
* Serbia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Turkey
* Ukraine

* v
* t
* e

EuroBasket 2025

Stages|

* Preliminary round
* Group A
* Group B
* Group C
* Group D
* Knockout stage
* Final

General|

* Squads
* Qualification

Venues|

* Spodek (Katowice)
* Spyros Kyprianou Athletic Center (Limassol)
* Arena Riga (Riga)
* Nokia Arena (Tampere)

Teams|

* Cyprus (host)
* Finland (host)
* Latvia (host)
* Poland (host)

Authority control databases: Geographic |

* MusicBrainz place

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