O2 Arena (stylised as O₂ arena) is a multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

, in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It is home to HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga and is the third-largest ice hockey arena in Europe. It has hosted important sport events such as three Ice Hockey World Championships (

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

and

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), the first edition of the prestigious tennis Laver Cup, the European Athletics Indoor Championships, the Euroleague Final Four 2006, the World Floorball Championship, the 2012 Davis Cup finals, four

Fed Cup The Billie Jean King Cup (or the BJK Cup) is the premier international team competition in women's tennis, launched as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The name was cha ...

finals, as well as a handful of

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

and

KHL The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs. It was considered in ...

games, including a 2014 Gagarin Cup final. It also hosts stage shows, such as concerts, and other large-scale events. The highest arena capacity reached was 20,208 people.

History

The idea of building a new arena in Prague came on the heels of the "golden era" of Czech

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

: winning the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and three gold medals in a row at the Ice Hockey World Championships from 1999 to 2001. The arena's main backer then became Sazka a.s., a Czech betting company. The construction of the arena (which began in September 2002) was not without issues, but it was opened in March 2004 as Sazka Arena, in time to host the 2004 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. In March 2008, the building was renamed O2 Arena. In March 2011, Sazka filed for insolvency due to debts from building the arena and other problems. Sazka was then re-organized and financially stabilized. From its opening until 2015, it was home to HC Slavia Prague of the Czech Extraliga. Slavia won the national championship on home ice in Game 7 of the 2008 Extraliga finals against HC Karlovy Vary 4–0 in front of a then-league-record crowd of 17,117. For two seasons, 2012–13 and 2013–14, O2 Arena also hosted occasional home games of HC Lev Prague of the Kontinental Hockey League. The club played its home games of the 2014 Gagarin Cup Finals at O2 Arena, attracting the three largest crowds in league history. In 2015, Slavia was relegated to the 1.liga, and the club chose to move back to the smaller Zimní stadion Eden, the team's former home and current training centre. In its place, O2 Arena reached an agreement with cross-town rivals Sparta Prague on 24 June 2015. Sparta ownership cited the need for significant renovations at Tipsport Arena as the main reason for the move. In 2015, O2 Arena co-hosted the IIHF World Championship with ČEZ Aréna in Ostrava for the second time. This time, the tournament re-established the record for World Championship attendance, which stood until being surpassed in 2024 with the tournament held in the same two cities. In 2017, it hosted the 1st edition of Laver Cup international indoor hard court men's tennis tournament between Europe and Team World. In 2019, a multifunctional congress centre, O₂ universum, opened up next to the Arena. In 2021, the venue was scheduled to host some group phase matches at the FIBA EuroBasket 2021, which the country was to cohost with

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and

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. The event was canceled. In 2021, the Stages Hotel with capacity of around 600 people, opened right next to the Arena. This included a creation of a big pedestrian zone and renewed public space around the eastern entrances to the arena.

Notable events

Music

* On 6 & 7 September 2006

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

performed there during her Confessions Tour. The concert was attended by 18,628 spectators, the biggest number of spectators in the arena's history. She performed again at the arena on 7 & 8 November 2015 as part of her Rebel Heart Tour selling out crowds of over 16,000 patrons. * The arena is the home of the Transmission festival since 2007. * On 12 May 2008,

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...

performed there as part of her KylieX2008. She performed again at the arena on 2 March 2011 as part of her Aphrodite World Tour. On 21 October 2014 Minogue performed again as part of her Kiss Me Once Tour. * On 26 June 2008 Céline Dion performed there during Taking Chances World Tour. * In November 2008, the French electronica pioneer Jean Michel Jarre performed his '' Oxygène'' album live at the arena, as part of the second leg of the Oxygène 30th anniversary tour. * On 27 April 2009,

Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...

performed a concert as part of the Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour * Sting performed during his Symphonicities Tour on 22 September 2010, along with the

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, England. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable recording contracts and important engagemen ...

. * In November 2010,

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

performed there during her Monster Ball Tour. * On 7 December 2011,

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

performed there during her Loud Tour. On 27 July 2016, Rihanna performed there as part of Anti World Tour. * On 26 October 2012,

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

performed a sold-out show during her Dance Again World Tour. * On 17 February 2015, Queen + Adam Lambert performed there as part of their Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2014-2015. The group returned to the arena on November 1, 2017, to kick off their 2017 European tour. * On 23 February 2015,

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...

performed there as part of Prismatic World Tour. * On January 30, 2016, Ellie Goulding performed there as part of Delirium World Tour. * On November 12, 2016,

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

performed a sold-out show during his Purpose World Tour. On 12 March 2023, Bieber performed there again as part of his Justice World Tour. *

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...

performed at the arena on 14 November 2017, as part of their Humanz Tour. * On 2 April 2018,

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

performed there as part of WorldWired Tour. * On 16 April 2018 Imagine Dragons performed here as a part of their Evolve World Tour. * On 7 & 8 May 2018,

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...

performed there as part of Enrique Iglesias Live. * On 1 July 2018

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...

performed there as part of the Pearl Jam 2018 Tour. * On 10 October 2018, Shania Twain performed there as part of the Shania Now Tour. * On 7 May 2019,

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

performed there as part of

Farewell Yellow Brick Road Farewell Yellow Brick Road was the forty-ninth concert tour by English musician Elton John. It began in Allentown, Pennsylvania, US, on 8 September 2018, and ended in Stockholm, Sweden, on 8 July 2023. It consisted of 330 concerts worldwide. Th ...

* On 4 September 2019,

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

performed there as part of the Sweetener World Tour. * On 16 February 2019,

Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up h ...

performed there as part of The Bandito Tour. The band returned to the venue on 12 April 2025 during the European leg of The Clancy World Tour. * On 29 April 2022, 5 Seconds of Summer performed there as part of their Take My Hand World Tour. * On 11 June 2022,

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...

performed there as part as their My Chemical Romance Reunion Tour. * On 15 July 2022,

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His showmanship, artistry, and flamboyant fashion have had a Cultural impact of Harry Styles, significant impact on popular culture. Styles's musical ca ...

performed there as a part of his Love on Tour. * On 21 December 2022, Symphonic Metal act

Nightwish Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Neval ...

performed there as part of the Human. :II: Nature. World Tour. * On 28 October 2023, 50 Cent bought his Final Lap Tour to the arena.

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

was the opening act. * On 30 & 31 May 2023,

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...

performed two sold out shows as part of their Future Past Tour. *On 16 October 2024, American singer Melanie Martinez performed there as part of The Trilogy Tour. *On 27 and 28th May 2025, British-Albanian singer

Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Lipa worked as a model before v ...

performed two concerts of the Radical Optimism Tour *On 1 June 2025, American singer

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

performed a sold out show of her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour with a record attendance of 20 209 people.

= Future shows

= * On 7 September 2025, British pop singer

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

will perform at the arena as part of his Robbie Williams Live 2025 tour.

Sport

* In October 2008, the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

and Tampa Bay Lightning opened the 2008–09 NHL season at O2 Arena with two games. In 2010, the NHL returned, with the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

and

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...

playing twice. In 2019, the NHL returned again with the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (N ...

and

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

opening the season at the arena. After a two year hiatus, the arena opened the 2022 season with the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...

and

Nashville Predators The Nashville Predators (colloquially referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Predators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Divisio ...

playing twice. The arena opened the 2024-25 season with the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

and

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

playing twice. * In December 2008, the arena played host to the playoff matches of the 2008 Men's World Floorball Championships, including Finland's 7–6 victory over Sweden in the final. * The Czech Republic Davis Cup Team defeated

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in the 2012 Davis Cup Final. * The Czech Fed Cup team contested the

at the O2 Arena four times between 2012 and 2018. The arena hosted the final of the 2012 Fed Cup against

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. In November 2014 the Czech Republic defeated

in the final of the 2014 Fed Cup. In November 2015, the arena hosted the

2015 Fed Cup The 2015 Fed Cup (also known as the 2015 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas for sponsorship purposes) was the 53rd edition of the most important tournament between national teams in women's tennis. The final took place on 14–15 November and was won by the ...

final against

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, while the 2018 Fed Cup, which the Czech Republic won against the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, resulted in the country's sixth cup win in eight years. * In February 2019, '' UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 145'' or ''UFC on ESPN+ 3'') was held at the O₂ Arena. The event marked the promotion's first visit to the

Technical facts

*Number of floors: 6 *Height: 33 m *Roof diameter: 135 m *Floor space: 35,000 m² *Capacity: **Concerts: up to 20.209 people (record broke with

concert in 2025) **Ice hockey: 17 383 **Basketball: 16 805 **Tennis: 14 000 *Club and Luxury seats: 2,460 *Sky boxes: 66 *Party Boxes: 4 *Seats in bars, restaurants and cafés: 2,900 *Beers that can be tapped in one break: 30,000 *Parking: 280 places *Population of its catchment area: 2.2 million people (as of 2025) File:Sazka-arena-02.jpg, Interior of O2 Arena (2007) File:Sazka arena.jpg, View from Českomoravská street File:Sazka Arena Ozzy.jpg, Sazka Arena in June 2007, before

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

's concert File:2017 European Women Basketball Championship EuroBasket Prague O2 Arena – final ceremony.jpg, Final ceremony of EuroBasket Women 2017 in O2 Arena

References

External links

Official website of the O₂ arena
{{Authority control Sports venues completed in 2004 Indoor arenas in the Czech Republic Ice hockey venues in the Czech Republic Basketball venues in the Czech Republic Sports venues in Prague

Music venues in Prague Music venues completed in 2004 2004 establishments in the Czech Republic 21st-century architecture in the Czech Republic