20 | SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 www.stadiaworld.com UEFA Supercup Final (2020), UEFA Europa League final (2023), annually the Formula 1, plus world championships in athletics (2023), swimming (2022), judo (2021) and modern pentathlon (2023), European championships in soccer (2021) and wrestling (2022) – and finally the Olympics in 2036? Looking at the recent and upcoming sporting events in Budapest alone, Hungary should not have the worst chances of hosting the world’s largest multi-sporting event. Nevertheless, the country and its capital still seem to be running somewhat under the radar. Time to take a closer look at Budapest’s infrastructure in terms of its stadiums and arenas. Hungary has unsuccessfully bid to host the Olympics six times (in 1916, 1920, 1936, 1944 and 1960), and the last attempt (for the 2024 edition) was withdrawn in 2017 due to popular opposition. Most recently, however, the country has once again become something of a sports hotspot. The construction of a new Olympic stadium had been planned specifically for “Budapest 2024”; the stadium was to be built on the edge of the Danube with space for more than 50,000 spectators. When the bid was withdrawn, the project was scrapped – but not the basic idea. The old plans were subsequently revived and modified, and in the summer of 2023 the city of Budapest was able to open the new “Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ” (National Athletics Center) on the same site. In contrast to the international norm, the new athletics center is designed to accommodate different numbers of spectators, depending on the basic operation or competition event. In ‘legacy mode”, the building seats 15,000 in the lower fixed grandstand, which can be expanded during competitions to include a rented, temporary upper tier with 25,000 additional seats. These temporary structures are dismantled after the event and the freed-up space is used for mass sport. In this way, the stadium will serve as a center for international sporting and cultural events, while at the same time being available for popular, recreational and youth sports. A “soft-opening” has already taken place in May 2023. The highest category twice: the soccer stadiums Already completed is Hungary’s new national stadium, the Puskás Aréna. Built in the run-up to EURO 2020, the stadium, which cost around 556 million euros, has already established itself several times as UEFA’s favorite. For the European Championship during the pandemic, after all, it was the venue for the round of 16, plus it Will the Olympic dream come true? Hungary’s capital has many venues in its portfolio: modern and large stadiums, indoor arenas, even a Formula 1 circuit. However, the long desired Olympic dream has not yet come true. A closer look at Budapest’s infrastructure. CITYPORTRAIT: BUDAPEST Picture: STADIAWORLD
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