Vida Arena

VIDA Arena
Location Växjö, Sweden
Coordinates 56°52′47″N 14°46′25″E / 56.87972°N 14.77361°E / 56.87972; 14.77361Coordinates: 56°52′47″N 14°46′25″E / 56.87972°N 14.77361°E / 56.87972; 14.77361
Owner Växjö Lakers
Capacity Ice hockey: 5,700
Construction
Broke ground September 2010
Opened September 2011
Tenants
Växjö Lakers (SHL) (2011–present)

Vida Arena (branded as VIDA Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Växjö, Sweden. The arena opened in September 2011 and is best known as the home arena for the ice hockey team Växjö Lakers. It seats 5,700 spectators.[1]

Construction

The construction of Vida Arena began in September 2010 and was finished in summer 2011, in time for the Växjö Lakers' debut season in the Elitserien (now named the SHL), the top-tier ice hockey league in Sweden. Although mainly intended to be used for ice hockey, Vida Arena is also used for other events such as concerts and news conferences.[2] The arena is named after the Vida Group, the company that acquired the naming rights for Vida Arena in September 2010, for the upcoming 14 seasons (expiring after the 2023–24 season).[3]

Spectator capacity

As of the 2013–14 season, Vida Arena is the SHL's newest arena and has a spectator capacity of 5,700, making it the SHL's capacity-wise next-to-smallest arena, only surpassing Örebro's Behrn Arena.[4]

For the entire 2011–12 season, the arena had a capacity of 5,329 spectators. Plans were announced to extend the capacity to at least 6,000.[5][6] Prior to the beginning of the 2012–13 season, the capacity was increased to 5,800 spectators.[6] In October 2012, however, the capacity was slightly reduced to 5,700 due to concerns from spectators. Level 4 was mainly affected.[1]

Inauguration

The arena was officially inaugurated on 17 September 2011, in an ice hockey game between Växjö Lakers and Linköpings HC. The arena tickets for the game were outsold within just one hour, with the Lakers' marketing manager speculating that they could've sold out two arenas.[7] Former Växjö Lakers crowd favorite Shjon Podein watched the game live in the arena. Linköping won the game 4–2 in front of 5,502 spectators.[8][9] However, the Lakers' premier game on 13 September, on away ice against Frölunda HC, was shown on the Vida Arena's Jumbotron in front of 2,400 spectators, with free entrance, as a preview of the Vida Arena experience and a test of the arena's technical features. Frölunda won the game 2–0.[10][11][12]

Arenastaden

Vida Arena is part of the sports complex "Arenastaden" (Arena town), which also includes a new football stadium, a floorball arena, and an arena for athletics.[13] Vida Arena is connected with Växjö Ishall, an old arena inaugurated in 1970 which, since a renovation which took place in 2006, has a capacity of 4,000 spectators.[14]

Other events

Vida Arena hosted the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2012 on 4 February 2012. This was the third time that Växjö hosted a Melodifestivalen stage, after 2002 and 2005 (both times in Tipshallen).[15]

Sans Cash

Vida Arena is the first cashless arena in Sweden.[16]

Panorama image

Panorama of Vida Arena's ice hockey rink from the restaurant.

References

  1. 1 2 Gustavsson, Jonas (2012-10-03). "Ny publikkapacitet: 5700" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
  2. ↑ Daniel Rydström (2010-09-25). "Vida arena - i 14 år" (in Swedish). Smålandsposten. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  3. ↑ "VIDA Arena - namnet på Växjö Lakers nya hockeyarena" (in Swedish). Vida Group. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
  4. ↑ "Fakta om VIDA Arena" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
  5. ↑ Daniel Enestubbe (2011-05-27). "Snart plats för 6 000 åskådare" (in Swedish). Smålandsposten. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  6. 1 2 Gustavsson, Jonas (2012-09-14). "Vida Arena växer" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
  7. ↑ Hampus Hagman (2011-09-06). "Hade kunnat sälja ut två arenor" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  8. ↑ Jonas Gustavsson (2011-09-17). "Förlust i hemmapremiären" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
  9. ↑ Jonas Gustavsson (2011-09-16). "Invigningsöverraskningen: Podein på plats i VIDA Arena" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  10. ↑ "Frölunda-Växjö Lakers live i VIDA Arena" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. 2011-09-09. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  11. ↑ Daniel Enestubbe (2011-09-09). "Frölunda–Växjö live i Vida Arena" (in Swedish). Smålandsposten. Retrieved 2011-09-10.
  12. ↑ Jonas Gustavsson (2011-09-13). "2 400 besökte VIDA Arena" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  13. ↑ "Arenastaden in Växjö" (in Swedish). Växjö. Retrieved 2011-04-09.
  14. ↑ "Växjö Ishall" (in Swedish). vaxjo.se. Retrieved 2011-10-18.
  15. ↑ "Städerna som får besök av Melodifestivalen 2012" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  16. ↑ "Sveriges första kontantfria arena" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers Hockey. 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
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