Casal España Arena de València, the new 18,600-capacity arena being developed in the Spanish city, has seen its delivery date slip from 2023 to 2024.
The announcement was made by Spanish billionaire Juan Roig, who is bankrolling the project through Licampa 1617, the holding company set up for the venture. Roig disclosed the new opening date at a press conference presenting the financial results of supermarket chain Mercadona, a company he owns.
“I cannot say the date on which we hope to inaugurate it (the arena), but it won’t be in 2023, it will be in 2024,” said Roig.
Work on the arena began in June 2020 and Liga ACB basketball club Valencia Basket had planned to move in for the 2023-24 season. Roig is investing €220m (£185m/$243.2m) of his personal assets in the project. In November 2020, Licampa 1617 reached an agreement with The Music Republic for the festival promoter to jointly operate the venue.
Licampa 1617 and The Music Republic formed a new company, València 5 Estrellas, which will oversee the management of the arena, its facilities and other future services. The new venture will also negotiate agreements with promoters, service suppliers and other stakeholders.
As well as being the new home of Valencia Basket, the arena will host other sporting and entertainment events. In June 2020, the city council in Valencia gave the green light for the development of the arena, which aims to be one of the finest in Spain, by approving a 50-year concession for the construction and operation of the facility.
The arena, designed by HOK and local architecture practice ERRE Arquitectura, will have a maximum capacity of 15,600 for basketball games but will be able to accommodate up to 18,600 spectators for concerts, which would make it the largest arena in Spain ahead of Madrid’s WiZink Center.
The arena complex will also feature a car park with 1,300 spaces, new headquarters for Valencia Basket, a multi-purpose hall, catering areas, and other terraces and premium spaces.
Image: HOK
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