Design & Development

Avicii Arena reopens after year-long renovation

Featured image credit: ASM Global

Stockholm’s Avicii Arena reopened at the weekend following a year-long redevelopment project that included the installation of new stands and seating.

The redevelopment has been led by Stockholm Live and the City of Stockholm, and has focused on elevating the fan experience at the venue.

The first phase of the redevelopment has been completed, and the arena reopened on Saturday with a sold-out performance of Swedish ice show Kite.

A host of upgrades will be rolled out during 2025, including brand-new stands and seating. Rebuilt terraces will bring fans closer to the action and provide increased comfort. The redesigned seating will result in a slightly higher total capacity for the arena, including an increase in floor capacity.

Avicii Arena’s concourses have also been upgraded with more food and drink choices, while new premium experiences, such as luxury suites, social lounges and party booths, will soon be rolled out.

Nordic construction company NCC was selected to carry out the project back in July 2023. The project has included a total investment of around $92m (£74m/€90m).

Other upgrades include a new, retractable interior roof, an advanced acoustic system, and new draping capabilities. The arena’s back-of-house has also been redesigned with new rigging capacity, faster event transitions and adaptable staging, allowing the venue to transition from ice hockey to concerts more easily.

Marie Lindqvist, senior vice-president of operations at Legends and ASM Global Europe, which manages Avicii Arena, said: “At Legends and ASM Global we take pride in pushing the boundaries for what can be done in an arena. The iconic Avicii Arena is a great example of how innovation, engineering and the passion to elevate the customer experience can transform an arena and take it into the future. Together with our long-term partner City of Stockholm, we are investing in the future by making Avicii Arena the best arena of its kind in the Nordics.”

The arena was built by NCC and originally opened as the Stockholm Globe Arena in 1989. It was rebranded as the Ericsson Globe in 2009 before becoming the Avicii Arena in May 2021 to honour the late producer and recording artist Avicii, who was from Stockholm.

As well as concerts, the arena hosts ice hockey and basketball events and has staged several NHL games over the years.