Warsaw set for new 22,000-capacity arena

Warsaw’s authorities have outlined plans for a new 22,000-capacity arena for sports and entertainment events.

Poland’s capital city does not presently have a large indoor venue and is now looking to progress plans for a €350m project.

Renata Kaznowska, the City of Warsaw’s vice-president, has given details to local reporters following comments made recently by Poland’s Sport and Tourism Minister, Sławomir Nitras.

The arena is slated to be built on a site next to the National Stadium on the east bank of the River Vistula. The plot must first be transferred from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage to the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, which is set to happen in July.

It is estimated that all the relevant permits can be obtained within the next two years with construction taking another three years.

Kaznowska told reporters that the project is essential for Warsaw, claiming it is the only capital city in Europe to not have a large indoor venue.

Kaznowska said: “I am aware that Warsaw, and also Poland, misses many events; many international entities would like to organise events in our capital but have nowhere to do so. That is why Warsaw simply needs this hall.”

How the Warsaw arena could be funded

Minister Nitras said the project is most likely to be funded by either a public-private partnership or a special purpose vehicle (SPV) created by the State Treasury. He added that a draft bill concerning finance has already been prepared.

Nitras told newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza: “The hall, similar to the National Stadium, would have a ‘national character’ and become an arena for the most important events in the country. Its construction is, therefore, important not just for the city but for the entire country.

“In Poland, only the Tauron Arena in Kraków is close to the standard [that we want]… The organization [of the most important events] in the capital would also have an impact on the popularization of Poland as a tourist destination, attracting fans from all over the world to Warsaw.”

Although work is underway on building a 6,000-seater sports hall in the city’s SKRA complex, currently the only viable indoor venue in Warsaw is the outdated 4,800-capacity Torwar.