Features

Etihad Arena set for April opening

The maiden event has been set for Abu Dhabi’s new Etihad Arena, with the venue set to open its doors on April 15 with the Disney On Ice presents Frozen show.

The show, based on Disney’s Academy Award winning film, will run through to April 18 under an agreement with US firm Feld Entertainment. The announcement comes after the recently signed strategic agreement between Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi), arena developer Miral and Sportainment Entertainment & Sports (SES Live), as part of the emirate’s Accelerator Programme – Ghadan 21.

The first event announcement comes after Etihad Airways last month agreed a deal to acquire naming rights to the multi-purpose indoor arena. Etihad reached the agreement with Miral, which is seeking to position the HOK-designed arena as a leading entertainment destination in the region.

Etihad Arena will be operated by Flash Entertainment and will host events with capacities ranging from 200 to 18,000 people. It is set to host sports events, corporate events, cultural performances and concerts.

Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, acting executive director of tourism and marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “DCT Abu Dhabi is committed to providing its residents and visitors with extraordinary experiences. As a global household name and one of the world’s best live entertainment showcases, Disney on Ice is undoubtedly one of the most exciting additions to the emirate’s portfolio in recent years.

“We are proud of the partnership we have established with SES Live, which is set to bring even more phenomenal additions to Abu Dhabi’s offerings of family entertainment attractions; further cementing the emirate’s position as a global leader in tourism.”

Etihad Arena forms part of Yas Bay, a wider Dh12bn (£2.51bn/€3bn/$3.26bn) development on which work began back in 2017.

Image: HOK