Belgrade Arena
Encyclopedia
The Belgrade Arena is an indoor arena located in Novi Beograd
, Belgrade
. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats (for handball, volleyball, basketball and other events), it is one of the largest indoor arenas in the world. Maximum capacity can be up to 20.000 - 25.000, depending on the event being held. Its cost was estimated at €
70 million.
. However, there was a condition for the city to build an all-new basketball arena. The city government immediately started a competition to find the best design of the new arena that was supposed to have a seat capacity of 20,000. The design submitted by Belgrade architect Vlada Slavica was chosen as the best.
In 1991 a location for the project was chosen – "Blok 25
" in New Belgrade. However the project was already becoming problematic. There were only 3 years left to the World Championships and building this mega structure would have to be done in record time. A team of 126 companies was formed to be part of the arena committee. Two architects were chosen to design the arena's roof.
In 1992 construction started as the arena committee formed a partnership with American company HOK that has had many experiences with building sporting objects. However, tough times were ahead. As the disintegration of Yugoslavia
started, the United Nations
imposed sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
(made up of the two remaining republics at the time - Serbia and Montenegro
) and HOK stopped all co-operation with the arena committee. Even with this setback, work on the Belgrade Arena continued.
In 1993, Belgrade suffered one of its worst economic years in modern history. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia experienced record inflation rates, and as a result of the sanctions and the conflicts in Yugoslavia, Belgrade lost the right to host the 1994 Basketball World Championships.
Following the formal announcement by FIBA, the arena's construction still continued for some time, though at a considerably slower pace due to the lack of material. However, sometime in 1995 the construction completely stopped. Work on the arena re-commenced in 1998 as the city was chosen to host the World Table Tennis Championships
in 1999 to be held in the Belgrade Arena. By this time the roof was already taking shape towards completion, part of the façade was done and the interior was half complete. Once again, Yugoslavia lost the privilege to host the competition as the city was bombed by NATO forces the year the competition was supposed to be held.
The first public event held in the Arena (which was still under construction at the time) was the final Slobodan Milošević
(president of Yugoslavia at the time) 2000 presidential election campaign rally
, which was held September 20, 2000. This was the last time Milošević has held a public speech. Two weeks later, he was ousted after mass protests across the country.
After a change of government in Yugoslavia in 2000 and the lifting of all sanctions imposed on the country, the Arena, under new management was completed in 2004 in time for the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament
and Belgrade finally got the right to host The European Basketball Championship 2005
.
Temporary licenses for public use expired in early 2006, following a series of sport events and concerts in 2005. Works on an automated fire prevention system and installation of elevators to meet European standards were completed by November 2006, while no events were held in the Arena in the meantime. The Belgrade Arena received its permanent public use license on November 4, 2006 and re-opened its doors as a result.
In February 2007, Serbian basketball coach Božidar Maljković
started an initiative to name the Arena after another renowned Serbian basketball coach, Aleksandar Nikolić
. Maljković presented his initiative to the city officials and the president of Serbia Boris Tadić
, but the name change hasn't been accepted yet.
The Belgrade Arena has been given the honour to be the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
in May 2008. The Arena was host to the 2 semi-finals and the final as well as dress and performance rehearsals. As a result a new multimedia room with latest technology was opened in February 2008 in order to accommodate the technical team that would be in charge of the Eurovision broadcast.
Belgrade Arena is a member of the European Arenas Association
(EAA).
The first event held in the Belgrade Arena was a Socialist Party of Serbia
and Yugoslav Left
final election campaign rally, held September 20, 2000 before the 2000 elections in Yugoslavia
. The construction of the Arena wasn't finished at that time. The official opening came nearly four years later, July 31, 2004, when the FIBA Diamond Ball
basketball tournament was held. Since Arena had only temporary license, only several events were held during the next two and a half years. The first event held after getting permanent license was the 50 Cent
concert, on November 6, 2006.
One of the biggest events to take place in the Arena was the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. In the final night of the contest an audience of over 20,000 was present. Other big events held in the Arena include numerous sporting events, notably the European championships in basketball
(EuroBasket 2005
), volleyball
(2005 Men's European Volleyball Championship), table tennis
(2007 European Table Tennis Championships
), and judo
(2007 European Judo Championships
). The Belgrade Arena was also one of the 69 venues to take part in the 2009 Summer Universiade Games
, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the basketball competition
. Arena was the host venue for the concerts of the most significant artists of Serbia and former Yugoslavia, as well as major international stars, including 50 Cent
, Anahi
, Backstreet Boys
, Andrea Bocelli
, Nick Cave
, The Chemical Brothers
, Eric Clapton
and Steve Winwood
, Joe Cocker
, Leonard Cohen
, Phil Collins
, The Cult
, Bob Dylan
, Guano Apes
, Guns N' Roses
, Hurts
, Il Divo
, Iron Maiden
, Jean Michel Jarre
, Tom Jones
, Judas Priest
, Alicia Keys
, Mark Knopfler
, Lenny Kravitz
, Massive Attack
, Nicole Scherzinger
and The Pussycat Dolls, Queen + Paul Rodgers
, Eros Ramazzotti
, Rammstein
, Chris Rea
, RBD
, Rihanna
, Sade
, Simple Minds
, Shakira
, Slash
, Sting, ZZ Top
, Montserrat Caballe
and many others. The Arena also hosted the second Green Fest music festival
with performances by Franz Ferdinand
, Cypress Hill
and The Raveonettes
and many other concerts, political rallies, product exhibitions and numerous other events.
Also, in several international competitions, the record attendance has been set at the Arena. On February 2, 2009, the 2009 Fed Cup
World Group II
, Serbia
vs. Japan
tennis
match set a record for an ITF
event attendance with a crowd of 15,118 spectators. On March 5, 2009, the first Partizan Belgrade
basketball
game at Belgrade Arena was held, a 2008–09 Euroleague
Top 16 match against Greek
powerhouse Panathinaikos. A crowd of 22,567, a record for the Euroleague (and also for any basketball club game held indoors in Europe), saw Partizan win 63–56. On July 26, 2009, the FIVB World League final between Serbia
and Brazil
was held in Belgrade Arena, with an attendance of 22,680, which is a record of Belgrade Arena, and World League.
, 2012 European Men's Handball Championship
, and 2013 World Women's Handball Championship
.
The Belgrade Arena is situated on E-70
/E-75
highway, leading to Novi Sad
and Budapest
in the North, Zagreb
in the West and Niš
and Skopje
in the South. The New Belgrade part of the highway bears the name Bulevar Arsenija Čarnojevića. Arena's parking is limited in spaces, though nearby residential areas provide enough room for vehicles.
It takes a 15-minute drive from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
to the Arena. Ride from downtown Belgrade would take the same amount of time, unless in rush-hour, when it could take up to 30 minutes to get to central Novi Beograd
, where the Arena is located.
The construction of the Arena has caused a substantial increase in prices for apartments in the surrounding area, which are mostly new. A new modern business district is scheduled to be constructed across the Belgrade Arena. Hotel IN was the first new hotel to be built near the Arena however the venue is also within walking distance from Hyatt Regency Belgrade
and Continental Hotel Belgrade.
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. It is designed as a universal hall for sport, cultural events and other programs. With a total space that covers 48,000 square metres, and an official total capacity of 19,982 seats (for handball, volleyball, basketball and other events), it is one of the largest indoor arenas in the world. Maximum capacity can be up to 20.000 - 25.000, depending on the event being held. Its cost was estimated at €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
70 million.
History
In 1989, The City of Belgrade was chosen to host the Basketball World Championship of 19941994 FIBA World Championship
The 1994 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Canada from August 4 to August 14, 1994. The tournament was held at SkyDome and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto as well as at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton...
. However, there was a condition for the city to build an all-new basketball arena. The city government immediately started a competition to find the best design of the new arena that was supposed to have a seat capacity of 20,000. The design submitted by Belgrade architect Vlada Slavica was chosen as the best.
In 1991 a location for the project was chosen – "Blok 25
Blokovi
Blokovi is the semi-formal plural name for a group of urban neighborhoods in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd....
" in New Belgrade. However the project was already becoming problematic. There were only 3 years left to the World Championships and building this mega structure would have to be done in record time. A team of 126 companies was formed to be part of the arena committee. Two architects were chosen to design the arena's roof.
In 1992 construction started as the arena committee formed a partnership with American company HOK that has had many experiences with building sporting objects. However, tough times were ahead. As the disintegration of Yugoslavia
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
started, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
imposed sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro was a country in southeastern Europe, formed from two former republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia : Serbia and Montenegro. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, it was established in 1992 as a federation called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia...
(made up of the two remaining republics at the time - Serbia and Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
) and HOK stopped all co-operation with the arena committee. Even with this setback, work on the Belgrade Arena continued.
In 1993, Belgrade suffered one of its worst economic years in modern history. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia experienced record inflation rates, and as a result of the sanctions and the conflicts in Yugoslavia, Belgrade lost the right to host the 1994 Basketball World Championships.
Following the formal announcement by FIBA, the arena's construction still continued for some time, though at a considerably slower pace due to the lack of material. However, sometime in 1995 the construction completely stopped. Work on the arena re-commenced in 1998 as the city was chosen to host the World Table Tennis Championships
World Table Tennis Championships
The World Table Tennis Championships are held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Seven events were included in the Championships. The World Team Table Tennis Championships, which include men's team and women's team events, were first their own competition in 2000. The Team Championships are held in...
in 1999 to be held in the Belgrade Arena. By this time the roof was already taking shape towards completion, part of the façade was done and the interior was half complete. Once again, Yugoslavia lost the privilege to host the competition as the city was bombed by NATO forces the year the competition was supposed to be held.
The first public event held in the Arena (which was still under construction at the time) was the final Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
(president of Yugoslavia at the time) 2000 presidential election campaign rally
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Yugoslavia on 24 September 2000. They were won by Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Opposition, who beat Slobodan Milošević in the first round of voting.-Results:...
, which was held September 20, 2000. This was the last time Milošević has held a public speech. Two weeks later, he was ousted after mass protests across the country.
After a change of government in Yugoslavia in 2000 and the lifting of all sanctions imposed on the country, the Arena, under new management was completed in 2004 in time for the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament
FIBA Diamond Ball
The FIBA Diamond Ball is an official international basketball tournament organized by FIBA, held every Olympic year prior to the Olympics. The first tournament was held in 2000 for men's teams only; starting in 2004, tournaments have been held for both men and women.The competing teams are the host...
and Belgrade finally got the right to host The European Basketball Championship 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
.
Temporary licenses for public use expired in early 2006, following a series of sport events and concerts in 2005. Works on an automated fire prevention system and installation of elevators to meet European standards were completed by November 2006, while no events were held in the Arena in the meantime. The Belgrade Arena received its permanent public use license on November 4, 2006 and re-opened its doors as a result.
In February 2007, Serbian basketball coach Božidar Maljković
Božidar Maljkovic
Božidar "Boža" Maljković is a Serbian basketball coach, one of the most successful in Europe, having won a title with practically all clubs he trained, including four Euroleague titles with three different clubs...
started an initiative to name the Arena after another renowned Serbian basketball coach, Aleksandar Nikolić
Aleksandar Nikolic
Aleksandar "Aca" Nikolić was a renowned Bosnian Serb basketball player and coach from Yugoslavia. He is considered to be so instrumental and important to the game's development in the country that he is often referred to as the Father of Yugoslav basketball...
. Maljković presented his initiative to the city officials and the president of Serbia Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
, but the name change hasn't been accepted yet.
The Belgrade Arena has been given the honour to be the venue of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
in May 2008. The Arena was host to the 2 semi-finals and the final as well as dress and performance rehearsals. As a result a new multimedia room with latest technology was opened in February 2008 in order to accommodate the technical team that would be in charge of the Eurovision broadcast.
Belgrade Arena is a member of the European Arenas Association
European Arenas Association
European Arenas Association is an international association that represents 30 indoor arenas from 20 European countries. These structures must be enclosed, multifunctional, with a capacity of at least 6,000 seats, and managing to maintain high quality standards in all areas.-History and...
(EAA).
Events
The first event held in the Belgrade Arena was a Socialist Party of Serbia
Socialist Party of Serbia
The Socialist Party of Serbia is officially a democratic socialist political party in Serbia. It is also widely recognized as a de facto Serbian nationalist party, though the party itself does not officially acknowledge this...
and Yugoslav Left
Yugoslav Left
Yugoslav Left was a left-wing political party in Serbia and Montenegro. It was formed in 1994 as is a coalition of 23 left-wing and communist parties, led by the League of Communists - Movement for Yugoslavia . It has been led by Mirjana Marković, the wife of Slobodan Milošević...
final election campaign rally, held September 20, 2000 before the 2000 elections in Yugoslavia
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia presidential election, 2000
Presidential elections were held in Yugoslavia on 24 September 2000. They were won by Vojislav Koštunica of the Democratic Opposition, who beat Slobodan Milošević in the first round of voting.-Results:...
. The construction of the Arena wasn't finished at that time. The official opening came nearly four years later, July 31, 2004, when the FIBA Diamond Ball
FIBA Diamond Ball
The FIBA Diamond Ball is an official international basketball tournament organized by FIBA, held every Olympic year prior to the Olympics. The first tournament was held in 2000 for men's teams only; starting in 2004, tournaments have been held for both men and women.The competing teams are the host...
basketball tournament was held. Since Arena had only temporary license, only several events were held during the next two and a half years. The first event held after getting permanent license was the 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
concert, on November 6, 2006.
One of the biggest events to take place in the Arena was the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
. In the final night of the contest an audience of over 20,000 was present. Other big events held in the Arena include numerous sporting events, notably the European championships in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(EuroBasket 2005
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
), volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
(2005 Men's European Volleyball Championship), table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
(2007 European Table Tennis Championships
Table Tennis European Championships
The European Table Tennis Championships were first held in 1958. Between 1958 and 2002, the European Championships were held every two years in the even years. From 2003 they were held in odd years. Since 2008 the tournament has been held annually...
), and judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
(2007 European Judo Championships
2007 European Judo Championships
The 2007 European Judo Championships were the 18th edition of the European Judo Championships, and were held in Belgrade, Serbia from 6 April to 8 April 2007.-Men:-Women:- Medal table :-60 kg:-66 kg:-73 kg:-81 kg:-90 kg:-100 kg:...
). The Belgrade Arena was also one of the 69 venues to take part in the 2009 Summer Universiade Games
2009 Summer Universiade
The 2009 Summer Universiade, officially known as the XXV Summer Universiade were celebrated in Belgrade, Serbia from 1 July to 12 July 2009. The event has also been organised by a range of co-host cities mostly in Vojvodina , close to Belgrade. It was the largest sporting event ever to be organised...
, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the basketball competition
Basketball at the 2009 Summer Universiade
The basketball competition in the 2009 Summer Universiade was held at different venues in Serbia on 1–11 July 2009.-Basketball – Men:-Basketball – Women:-Notes:...
. Arena was the host venue for the concerts of the most significant artists of Serbia and former Yugoslavia, as well as major international stars, including 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, Anahi
Anahí
Anahí Giovanna Puente Portilla, better known as Anahí , , is a Mexican singer-songwriter and actress. She gained international fame after being cast as Mia Colucci in the hit Mexican telenovela Rebelde, and as a member of the Latin Grammy-nominated pop group RBD..- Acting career :At the age of 2,...
, Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
, Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
, The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
and Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
, Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Guano Apes
Guano Apes
Guano Apes are an alternative rock band formed in 1994 in Göttingen, Germany. The group members are Sandra Nasić , Henning Rümenapp , Stefan Ude and Dennis Poschwatta ....
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Hurts
Hurts
Hurts are a British synthpop duo formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson . Their debut album Happiness, which was released in September 2010, has reached the Top 10 in 12 European countries, and has sold over 800,000 copies worldwide...
, Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel Jarre
Jean Michel André Jarre is a French composer, performer and music producer. He is a pioneer in the electronic, ambient and New Age genres, and known as an organiser of outdoor spectacles of his music featuring lights, laser displays, and fireworks.Jarre was raised in Lyon by his mother and...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
, Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
, Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
, Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Scherzinger
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, model, and actress. Scherzinger is perhaps best known for being the lead vocalist of the Pussycat Dolls....
and The Pussycat Dolls, Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
, Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...
, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
, Chris Rea
Chris Rea
Chris Rea is an English singer-songwriter, recognisable for his distinctive, husky voice and slide guitar playing. The British Hit Singles & Albums stated that Rea was "one of the most popular UK singer-songwriters of the late 1980s. He was already a major European star by the time he finally...
, RBD
RBD
RBD was a two-time Latin-Grammy nominated Mexican pop group that gained popularity from Televisa's teen drama series Rebelde. RBD sold over 17 million digital downloads and over 20 million albums worldwide in four years since their formation, according to EMI...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, Sade
Sade
Sade, or SADE can mean:* Marquis de Sade, the eighteenth century aristocrat, writer and libertine* Sade , a French film starring Daniel Auteuil as the Marquis de Sade* Sade , a Nigerian-British smooth jazz band from the 1980s...
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Sting, ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Montserrat Caballe
Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
and many others. The Arena also hosted the second Green Fest music festival
Green Fest (Serbia)
Green Fest was an annual single day musical event held in Serbia.Conceived as a local arm of the Carlsberg Group's Tuborg GreenFest summer concert series across Eastern Europe, Serbian Green Fest is organized by the same group of individuals who are behind EXIT...
with performances by Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
, Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
and The Raveonettes
The Raveonettes
The Raveonettes are a Danish indie rock duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, instruments, and vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass, guitar and vocals...
and many other concerts, political rallies, product exhibitions and numerous other events.
Also, in several international competitions, the record attendance has been set at the Arena. On February 2, 2009, the 2009 Fed Cup
2009 Fed Cup
The 2009 Fed Cup was the 47th edition of the most important tournament between national teams in women's tennis...
World Group II
2009 Fed Cup World Group II
The World Group II is the second highest level of Fed Cup competition in 2009. Winners will advance to the World Group Play-offs, and loser will play in the World Group II Play-offs.-Slovakia vs. Belgium:-Switzerland vs. Germany:-Serbia vs. Japan:...
, Serbia
Serbia Fed Cup team
The Serbian Fed Cup team represents Serbia in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Serbia Tennis Federation. They currently compete in the World Group.-Current team:-Before 1992:...
vs. Japan
Japan Fed Cup team
The Japan Fed Cup team represents Japan in Fed Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Japan Tennis Association. They currently compete in the World Group.-Current team:*Kimiko Date Krumm *Ayumi Morita *Rika Fujiwara...
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
match set a record for an ITF
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
event attendance with a crowd of 15,118 spectators. On March 5, 2009, the first Partizan Belgrade
KK Partizan
Košarkaški klub Partizan is a Serbian professional basketball club. It is part of the multi-sports Belgrade-based club Partizan. The club competes in the Serbian League, Adriatic League and the Euroleague....
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game at Belgrade Arena was held, a 2008–09 Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
Top 16 match against Greek
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
powerhouse Panathinaikos. A crowd of 22,567, a record for the Euroleague (and also for any basketball club game held indoors in Europe), saw Partizan win 63–56. On July 26, 2009, the FIVB World League final between Serbia
Serbia men's national volleyball team
The Serbia men's national volleyball team is the national team of Serbia.FIVB considers Serbia as the inheritor of the records of SFR Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro....
and Brazil
Brazil men's national volleyball team
The Brazil men's national volleyball team is the national team of Brazil. It is governed by the Confederação Brasileira de Voleibol and takes part in international volleyball competitions...
was held in Belgrade Arena, with an attendance of 22,680, which is a record of Belgrade Arena, and World League.
Upcoming events
In the future, Arena is set to host numerous concerts and sporting events, notably 2011 Women's European Volleyball Championship2011 Women's European Volleyball Championship
The 2011 Women's European Volleyball Championship was the 27th edition of the European Volleyball Championship, organised by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball...
, 2012 European Men's Handball Championship
2012 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2012 EHF European Men's Handball Championship will be held in Serbia from 15–29 January, in the cities of Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad and Vršac...
, and 2013 World Women's Handball Championship
2013 World Women's Handball Championship
The 2013 World Women's Handball Championship, the 21st event hosted by the International Handball Federation, will be held in Serbia in December, 2013. South Korea was the other applicant for this championship. The decision to select Serbia as the host was announced 2 October 2010.- Venues :Five...
.
Location and influence
European route E70
European route E 70 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from A Coruña in Spain in the west to the Georgian city of Poti in the east.-Itinerary:...
/E-75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
highway, leading to Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
and Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in the North, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
in the West and Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
and Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
in the South. The New Belgrade part of the highway bears the name Bulevar Arsenija Čarnojevića. Arena's parking is limited in spaces, though nearby residential areas provide enough room for vehicles.
It takes a 15-minute drive from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is Serbia's busiest airport, also known as Surčin , after a nearby Belgrade district.Named after Nikola Tesla, the airport is situated west, of central Belgrade, in the Municipality of Surčin, surrounded by Syrmia's fertile lowlands...
to the Arena. Ride from downtown Belgrade would take the same amount of time, unless in rush-hour, when it could take up to 30 minutes to get to central Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd
Novi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
, where the Arena is located.
The construction of the Arena has caused a substantial increase in prices for apartments in the surrounding area, which are mostly new. A new modern business district is scheduled to be constructed across the Belgrade Arena. Hotel IN was the first new hotel to be built near the Arena however the venue is also within walking distance from Hyatt Regency Belgrade
Hyatt Regency Belgrade
Hyatt Regency Belgrade is a modern 5-star hotel located in New Belgrade, Serbia, close to both the city centre and Sava Center, and fifteen minutes from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.-Rooms:...
and Continental Hotel Belgrade.
External links
- Official English website
- Belgrade Arena profile at the European Arenas AssociationEuropean Arenas AssociationEuropean Arenas Association is an international association that represents 30 indoor arenas from 20 European countries. These structures must be enclosed, multifunctional, with a capacity of at least 6,000 seats, and managing to maintain high quality standards in all areas.-History and...
official site - Eventim
- Ticketline
- Tiketservis (Serbia)
- City of Belgrade
- BeoBuild exclusive report