Bizkaia Arena is an indoor
arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
in
Barakaldo
Barakaldo ( es, Baracaldo; eu, Barakaldo ) is a municipality located in the Biscay province in the Basque Country. Located on the Left Bank of the Estuary of Bilbao, the city is part of Greater Bilbao, has a population at 100,881. Barakaldo h ...
,
Greater Bilbao
Greater Bilbao ( Basque: ''Bilboaldea'', Spanish: ''Gran Bilbao'') is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one. The capital city of ...
. It is the biggest multipurpose hall in
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, as it can hold up to 26,000 people, and 15,414 for indoor sports. The arena is part of the
Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) complex, the Exhibition and Congress Centre of
Bilbao
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, image_map =
, mapsize = 275 px
, map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao
, pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption ...
and
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
, inaugurated in April 2004.
The venue regularly hosts
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
games, for which it has a capacity of 15,414. It was one of the six venues used for the
2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, hosted by Spain. The arena hosted the annual
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
in
2018 as the awards show was held in Spain for the third time and the first time in Bilbao.
History
The arena was used as the home arena of the
Spanish League basketball club
Bilbao Basket
Club Basket Bilbao Berri S.A.D., commonly known as Bilbao Basket (), also known as Surne Bilbao Basket for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Bilbao, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the Bilba ...
during the
2009-10 season. In other seasons, it has also occasionally been used for their most attractive games. It hosted the
2010 Spanish King's Cup Final Eight.
The arena hosted a
preseason
In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of Se ...
game between
Bilbao Basket
Club Basket Bilbao Berri S.A.D., commonly known as Bilbao Basket (), also known as Surne Bilbao Basket for sponsorship reasons, is a professional basketball club based in Bilbao, Spain. The team plays in the Liga ACB. Their home arena is the Bilba ...
and the
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
team the
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
.
Several international
pop and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
acts have also performed at the Bizkaia Arena.
The venue has also been used for other kinds of shows, such as opera,
Disney on Ice, etc., political speeches, and religious meetings.
See also
*
Bilbao Exhibition Centre
*
Bilbao Arena
Bilbao Arena is an indoor arena in the neighbourhood of Miribilla in Bilbao, Spain. The central hall can hold up to 10,014 people for basketball games. The central hall is also used for concerts and other kinds of shows. The facilities also includ ...
*
List of indoor arenas in Spain
The following is a list of indoor arenas in Spain, ordered by capacity.
The venues are by their final capacity after construction for seating-only events. There is more capacity if standing room is included (e.g. for concerts). All venues with at ...
References
External links
*
Bilbao Basket Official Website
{{Authority control
Indoor arenas in Spain
Basketball venues in Spain
Sports venues in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Barakaldo
Bilbao Basket
Sport in Biscay