The Arena Zagreb is a multi-purpose

indoor 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 ...

located in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

, Croatia. The site also includes a building complex, the Arena Complex (Arena Center), making it one of the largest shopping-entertainment centers in the city. The arena is used for

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

, athletics,

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 (appro ...

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. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, numerous other sporting competitions, and various concerts, exhibitions, fairs, conventions, and congresses. Arena Zagreb is a former member of the

European Arenas Association The European Arenas Association (EAA) is a group of indoor arenas located in Europe with a range of event hosting experiences, including concerts, entertainment productions, and sporting and corporate events. As of 2025, it is made up of 41 mem ...

(EAA), and it is the biggest indoor and sports arena in Croatia and one of the biggest indoor arenas in Europe. The shopping center and Arena Zagreb share a series of services such as a joint parking lot, multiplex cinema, wellness center, numerous restaurants, cafes, and stores.

History

The

Croatian Government The Government of Croatia (), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia (), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government (), is the main executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the president of the Government (), infor ...

and the

Zagreb Assembly The City Assembly of the City of Zagreb (, short: GSGZ) is the lawmaking body of the Croatian capital of Zagreb. It consists of 47 members who were elected by universal suffrage and secret ballot at 2021 elections for a term of four years. Th ...

held a public tender for the construction of a sports hall in order to host games in the

2009 World Men's Handball Championship The 2009 World Men's Handball Championship was the 21st edition of the tournament that took place in Croatia from 16 January to 1 February, in the cities of Split, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Poreč, Zagreb and Pula. Croatia was selected from a gr ...

, and later for numerous other sporting, cultural, and business events. They selected the consortium composed of property developers

TriGránit TriGranit is one of the largest privately owned real estate platforms in Central Europe, focusing primarily on retail and office buildings in urban locations. TriGranit manages investment, acquisition, development, and construction. In its two d ...

(from

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

) and Ingra (from Croatia). The TriGránit/Ingra offer was initially approved on 25 April 2007, but the signing of the final contract was delayed because of

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Milan Bandić expressing discontent with the conditions. The Consortium engaged studio UPI-2M from Zagreb as well as studio Decathlon from Athens as an international consultant, specially for this project to create and produce a unique design for Arena Zagreb. The construction of the sports hall finally started on 20 July 2007, and was completed as planned on 15 December 2008. The arena also hosted the 2018 European Men's Handball Championship with

Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...

Varaždin Varaždin ( or ; , also known by #Name, alternative names) is a city in Northern Croatia, north-east of Zagreb. The total population is 46,946, with 38,839 in the city settlement itself (2011). The city is best known for its baroque buildings, ...

and

Poreč Poreč (; known also by several alternative names) is a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula, in Istria County, west Croatia. Its major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, which was designated a UN ...

. and the World Men's Handball Championship again in

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

with the country, Denmark and Norway.

Architecture and design

The arena was built in a previously undeveloped part of Zagreb that had long been overlooked—marked by a mix of neglected fields and modest residential buildings. Before construction began, the area resembled an urban wasteland more than a future cultural and sports destination. Located in the southwestern part of Lanište district of (

Novi Zagreb Novi Zagreb () is the part of the city of Zagreb located south of the Sava, Sava river. Novi Zagreb forms a distinct whole because it is separated from the northern part of the city both by the river and by the levees around Sava. At the same time ...

), Arena Zagreb is a modern indoor venue designed to accommodate up to 16,500 for sport events and 22,400 spectators for concerts. Originally constructed for the 2009 World Men’s Handball Championship, it quickly gained prominence not just for its functionality, but also for its striking architectural presence. Situated near one of the city's major gateways, it stands as a recognizable symbol of the city. Eighty-six massive curved concrete columns create the venue’s signature ribbed exterior, wrapping the building like a white oval shell. These are linked by a translucent, double-layered

polycarbonate Polycarbonates (PC) are a group of thermoplastic polymers containing carbonate ester, carbonate groups in their chemical structures. Polycarbonates used in engineering are strong, toughness, tough materials, and some grades are optically transp ...

façade that allows for lighting displays. The suspended roof system, supported by these columns, eliminates the need for extensive internal roof structures, creating a open space inside. Features like retractable seating, movable partitions, and multiple configurable zones give it the flexibility needed to host different types of users and gatherings. Additional considerations — such as backstage areas, visitor flow, catering facilities, and acoustics — were all incorporated to ensure a high-quality experience for both performers and attendees. Natural light is excluded from the main hall except when the light-blocking roof domes are opened, a feature that enhances the lighting quality for both live events and television broadcasts. To support its function as a major event venue, surrounding infrastructure was significantly upgraded. New roadways and public utilities were installed, along with bus connections to other parts of the city. The facility itself spans six levels—one underground and five above—covering a gross built area of 90,340 square meters, all situated on a 29,540-square-meter site. The construction cost averaged €850 per square meter, which includes associated project expenses.

Parking Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and usually leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the bu ...

includes 926 spaces for cars and 38 for buses or broadcast vans, spread across an underground garage and the adjacent surface level. High groundwater levels prevented deeper underground construction, and the limited footprint of the site didn’t allow for surface parking. Biggest shopping Center in Zagreb - Arena Centar was built next to the Arena Zagreb in 2010. The unveiling of the Arena’s design triggered a wave of development in the neighborhood. Even before construction finished, new projects began taking shape around the site. Today, the Arena stands as a focal point within a broader urban plan that includes a major shopping and entertainment complex, as well as new residential communities. Developing spatial and functional characteristics to enable maximum flexibility of the venue was vital during the schematic design stage. The telescopic system of 4,550 seats was a critical element in allowing different configurations and quick turnaround between events. The singular vision also led to provision of spacious facilities for athletes, other performers and event managers, a concept for simple and fluid visitor circulation, a mix of catering facilities and designing in smaller, mutually independent zones that could all be used at the same time. Getting the acoustics right was important too. The steel roof structure had sufficient bearing capacity to enable the suspension of additional stage equipment. The roof structure is close to the structure of a

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

, which is an uncommon approach (in arena design) anywhere in the world. The roof’s bearing structure is only 45 cm high, over a span of 110 m, because it is suspended from the upper side of the roof outside and can not be seen from the interior. This solution was made feasible by contemporary cable production technology – the span is suspended on cables that have a diameter of just 66 mm. Each cable can carry 400 tons. Arena Zagreb won the Structural Design of the Year award at the 2009

World Architecture Festival The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is an Architecture, architectural and design event held annually and considered to be one of the most prestigious events dedicated to the architecture and development industries. It was founded by Paul Fin ...

, and Grand spectacle award at Global BBR 2010.

Concerts and events

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler OBE (born 12 August 1949) is a British musician. He was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits from 1977 to 1995, and he is the one of the two members who stayed during the band's existence ...

had a concert promoting his album ''

Privateering A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since Piracy, robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sover ...

'' (5 May 2013) *

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 ...

held a full house concert as a part of their Maiden England World Tour (31 July 2013) * ''

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song by the British rock band Queen from their 1977 album '' News of the World'', written by guitarist Brian May. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA it p ...

'' took place, performing in total of 3 shows (25–26 May 2013) *

Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the " Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had a significant impact on popular musi ...

was supposed to hold a concert on 16 March 2024, with her upcoming Courage World Tour but canceled due to her health problems.

Gallery

Image:Handball WC2009 Final.jpg,

Image:Medvescak in Arena Zagreb 2.jpg,

KHL Medveščak Zagreb KHL Medveščak Admiral (), also known as KHL Medveščak Zagreb, is a Croatian professional ice hockey team based in Zagreb, established in 1961. The team's name derives from the location of its original arena in the Medveščak area in centra ...

game Image:Cibona vs Partizan NLB League Final 2010.JPG, Cibona vs Partizan, April 2010 Image:Arena Zagreb (38749792485).jpg, 2018 European Men's Handball Championship image:Guns N Roses Zagreb 240910 2.jpg, Guns N’ Roses concert in Arena Zagreb, 2010 image:Britney Spears at The Femme Fatale Tour (1).jpg,

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

with her

Femme Fatale Tour The Femme Fatale Tour was the eighth concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was officially announced in March 2011, initially with dates for North ...

, 2011 image:Sting 4.jpg, Sting, 2012 image:Rammstein, Arena Zagreb.jpg,

Rammstein Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer Christoph ...

, 2011 image:The Monster Ball - Bad Romance revamped8.jpg ,

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 ...

on Monster Ball Tour, 2010 image:Beyonce Birminham.jpg,

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

on Mrs. Carter World Tour, 2013 image:Balasevic Zagreb 5332063229.jpg,

Đorđe Balašević Đorđe Balašević ( sr-Cyrl, Ђорђе Балашевић; 11 May 1953 – 19 February 2021) was a Serbian singer and songwriter, writer, poet and director. He began his career in the late 1970s as a member of the band Rani Mraz, transitionin ...

in Arena Zagreb, 2010 image:Marko Perkovic Thompson 23082013 01 roberta f.jpg, Marko Perković Thompson, 2014

References

External links