www.stadiaworld.com SPORTS VENUES 2023/24 | 21 INTRO hosted the 2020 Supercup Final (FC Bayern vs. FC Sevilla). Several Champions League matches that had to be played on neutral ground due to Covid took also place here. And, it hosted the UEFA Europa League final at the end of May. With space for 67,155 spectators (all-seater) and the highest classification according to UEFA and FIFA standards, it is the largest and most modern soccer stadium in Hungary. Budapest also has a second UEFA Category 4 stadium, the Groupama Aréna. Opened in 2014, the home ground of Ferencváros has a capacity of almost 24,000 and was home to the Hungarian national team until the opening of the Puskas Aréna. Big and modern: Budapest’s indoor arenas In the immediate vicinity of the two stadiums, the MVM Dome and the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna offer two multifunctional arenas. Together with the Duna Aréna, Budapest thus has three arenas with capacities of over 10,000 seats. Opened in 2003 and located directly opposite the Puskás Aréna, the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna was for a long time the largest multifunctional arena in the Hungarian capital. The arena offers up to 12,500 seats for concerts, and almost all stars of various genres have been guests in the past 20 years. In terms of sports, it has also been home to a wide portfolio of the biggest indoor sporting events. In the sports configuration, the arena holds around 10,000 seats. At the end of December 2021, it was replaced by the MVM Dome as the largest indoor sports venue. With space for over 20,000 spectators, the home of the Hungarian national team is even the largest handball arena in Europe. In early 2022, the venue hosted the European Men’s Handball Championship and was the venue for the Final between Sweden and Spain. Until 2024, the venue is set to host the EHF Women’s Champions League Final Four, and the MVM Dome will also host the 2027 Women’s World Championship and 2024 European Championship. The construction of the multifunctional arena cost the Hungarian state more than 300 million euros. In the field of aquatics, Budapest has a state-of-the-art facility in the form of the Duna Aréna, which has already inspired Tokyo in its Olympic preparations. Described by the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee as the “best competitive swimming pool in the world”, it even serves as a model for the Olympic pool to be built in France. Opened in 2017, the three-story venue features two Olympic-size pools, a diving pool and a short course training pool, a sports museum, fitness center, conference rooms and VIP facilities. 6,000 fixed seats are available for spectators, and capacity can be increased to up to 15,000 for major events. At the same time, the arena is not only designed for major professional events, but is also open to the general public on a day-to-day basis. Question mark Olympics In addition, the BOK Sportcsarnok (event center for up to 10,000 spectators, now an Olympic center), Kincsem Park (large, modernized facility for horse and greyhound racing) and the venerable Kis Stadium, which is in need of renovation, provide further facilities for various sports. The Hungaroring, where Formula 1 Grand Prix races have been held without interruption since 1986, is another temple of sports located just outside the city gates. For a population of less than 1.8 million, Budapest’s sports infrastructure is truly exceptional – and this in terms of quantity, quality and modernity. But whether a renewed Olympic bid can really be expected soon is just as unclear as when the next possible Olympic Games (2036) will even be awarded, or what the chances of a Hungarian bid would be. The IOC famously changed its award criteria in 2019 and has since relied on informal and non-public talks rather than voting. Meanwhile, the 2030 Winter Olympics could not yet be awarded due to a lack of applicants. MVM Dome: One of the most modern and largest arenas in Europe. Picture: HHF/Aniko Kovacs
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