K-Arena opens its doors in Yokohama

K-Arena Yokohama, a new 20,000-capacity venue in the Japanese city, opened its doors on Friday with a performance from local band Yuzu.

The facility, which claims to be the largest music arena in the world, has been developed by real estate company Ken Corporation. Work on the project commenced in 2020 and it has opened on schedule.

K-Arena Yokohama is set to host 150 events each year, with developer Ken Corporation anticipating a total of three million annual attendees.

Yuzu staged a double-header of performances on Friday and Saturday. The gigs marked the start of a wider ‘Grand Opening Series’, which will run until December.

The arena is located next door to the Hilton Yokohama hotel, which opened on September 24. The arena was opened for a press event on September 22 but Friday marked the first official performance at the venue.

The arena’s environmental commitments will see renewable energy used as the power source for live concerts. District heating and cooling will also be used to save energy with a concentrated set of heat source facilities.

The site spans 31,000 square metres, with floor space totalling around 118,000 square metres.