On my last tour to Croatia, I landed in Zagreba and visited many cool places there. But my target destination was Arena Zagreb. I was desperate to go there and discover everything myself as I had listened too much about that place. So, not waiting much, I was at Arena Zagreb on the third day of my tour. This article has everything I witnessed at Arena Zagreb, Croatia.

History of Arena Zagreb

First of all, I was very interested in the history of the arena. So I did a deep research on it and here are some facts.

In July 2007, construction on Arena Zagreb began and lasted for 503 days. It was a friendly handball game between Croatia and Russia on the 27th of December 2008 that took place in the newly built Arena. A crowd of 15,200 witnessed the Croatians’ victory over their Russian opponents.

Builders constructed the arena to host the 21st Handball World Championship. It became a new tourist destination for its infrastructure and aesthetic appeal. The project was a cooperation between the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb, and the construction company INGRA. It was a public-private partnership. A public-private partnership propels city growth and capital development worldwide, and it has recently started to make an impact in Croatia.

This concept, however, has proven highly successful in funding key urban investments.

Croatia now has an invaluable asset in Arena Zagreb. Popular musicians had their concerts there and also some exciting sporting events took place there. The facilities of the arena provided a great facility to let those thrilling sporting events happen.  Several world-renowned musicians have performed at Arena Zagreb since it opened in 2009. 

Building Features and Amenities

The infrastructure of Arena Zagreb is so captivating that it attracts everyone to visit it. Some details of it are as follows.

In the center of the building is a gigantic rib cage, composed of 86 pre-stressed concrete curved columns, surrounded by a semi-translucent polycarbonate envelope that lets in a variety of light sources. As well as the cathedral, it’s already a Zagreb landmark.

The 4,550 telescopic seats allow for versatile room configurations, enabling quick scheduling of different events. It also resulted in providing athletes, performers, and event managers with spacious facilities, flexible visitor circulation, catering facilities, and a design that divided the space into smaller, mutually independent zones. The steel roof structure was capable of supporting additional stage equipment due to its bearing capacity.  

The Arena has a really cool roof that’s similar to a hanging bridge, which is pretty rare for arenas. The supporting structure of the roof is super thin, only about the height of a thick book, but it stretches over a vast space.Strong cables support the structure, and each cable has the capacity to bear the weight of approximately 80 elephants! Inside, the arena can fit over 16,500 people for games and even more, 22,400, for concerts. It’s truly a marvel of modern design.

At the 2009 World Architecture Festival, Arena Zagreb won the Structural Design of the Year award, and at the Global BBR 2010, it won the Grand Spectacle award.

Amenities

I was very satisfied to observe the amenities provided there. There was a range of services for visitors.

• Parking: Arena Zagreb has a joint parking lot with the Arena Center shopping complex, providing ample parking space for visitors.
• Shopping: The Arena Center shopping complex is located adjacent to Arena Zagreb, offering numerous stores and shops for visitors to explore. There were well-known brands there like Nike, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Aldo, and much more. It also has a wellness center there. The center includes a multiplex cinema.
• Dining: A number of restaurants and cafes are options for visitors. I went to Horak Slasticarnica and enjoyed delicious desserts.
• Accommodations: Visitors can stay at the Arena Zagreb Premium Apartment, which is located a short walk from the arena and offers comfortable accommodations.
• Hostel: Hostel Arena Zagreb is located nearby and offers laundry service, free internet, and a reception that is open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.

Overall, Arena Zagreb offers a range of amenities and services to visitors, including parking, shopping, dining, wellness, entertainment, and accommodation options.

Location of Arena Zagreb

The precise location of Arena Zagreb is Ul. Vice Vukova 8, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.

How to get to Arena Zagreb

There are several ways to get to Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, depending on your location and mode of transportation. Here are some of the options:

By car: Arena Zagreb is located at the southwest entrance to Zagreb, approximately 10 minutes from downtown Zagreb. Visitors can use GPS or follow signs to reach the venue

By public transport: Visitors can take the tram lines 7 or 14 from downtown Zagreb or from Novi Zagreb to reach Arena Zagreb. Due to the works on Jadranski most, lines 14 and 7 run abbreviated, and instead of them, there is an extraordinary bus line 615 (Savski most – Trnsko). Visitors can also take bus lines 110, 111, 132, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 168, 169, 234, 315, or 615 to reach Arena Zagreb

The nearest train station to Arena Zagreb is Remetinec, which is a 20-minute walk away. 

By taxi: Visitors can take a taxi from their location to Arena Zagreb. Taxis are readily available throughout the city.

Hotels near Arena Zagreb

There are several hotels near Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia, that visitors can choose from. Here are some of the options:

• Hotel Blue
• The Westin Zagreb
• DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb
• Hotel Esplanade Zagreb
• Hotel Dubrovnik
• Sheraton Zagreb Hotel
• Canopy by Hilton Zagreb – City Centre
• Hotel Laguna
• Maistra City Vibes Zonar Zagreb
• Best Western Airport Hotel Stella
• Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria
• Hotel Magdalena
• Hotel Cool Zagreb Airport
• Hotel Jägerhorn
• Royal Airport Hotel
• Hotel Garden
• Hotel Slisko
• Residence Hotel

These hotels offer a range of amenities and services, including comfortable accommodations, dining options, and proximity to Arena Zagreb. Visitors can check the hotel websites or booking websites such as Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, or Expedia for more information on availability, pricing, and amenities.

Costs and Earnings

According to the search results, the construction cost of Arena Zagreb was €89 million. However, it is not clear from the search results what the cost of visiting or using Arena Zagreb is. The cost of visiting or using Arena Zagreb may vary depending on the event, activity, or service. 

• Arena Hospitality Group, which operates hotels and resorts in Croatia, reported accommodation revenues of HRK 518.4 million (approximately €68.8 million) in 2022.
• The Arena Center Zagreb company reported a total operating revenue of HRK 1.1 billion (approximately €146 million) in 2021.
• Karting Arena Zagreb, a motor vehicle manufacturing, recreation, and hospitality company, reported revenue of $200,000 in an unspecified year.
• The City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia committed to paying Ingra €7.2 million per year, plus €300,000 per year for the costs of Arena Zagreb.
• In 2016, Heitman, a global real estate investment management firm, acquired Arena Center Zagreb for over €230 million.
• Arena Hospitality Group reported a total revenue of €42.3 million in H1 2023, representing a 40.5% increase from the previous year.

List of Sporting Events at Arena Zagreb

Here are some of the sporting events that have been held at Arena Zagreb:

• Hockey: Arena Zagreb has hosted hockey games, including the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A
• Volleyball: FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2010 was held in the Arena Zagreb
• Futsal: In 2012, Arena Zagreb hosted the UEFA Futsal Champions League Final Four.
• Handball: Arena Zagreb is primarily known for hosting handball games, including the 2009 World Men’s Handball Championship and the 2018 European Men’s Handball Championship.
• Athletics: A number of indoor athletics competitions have been held at Arena Zagreb, including the 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
• Basketball: The 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup was held at Arena Zagreb.
• Other Sporting Events: Other sports events have also been held at Arena Zagreb, including boxing, wrestling, and martial arts.

Honestly, I can’t wait to attend the next sporting event at Arena Zagreb.

Popular Musicians at Arena Zagreb

Arena Zagreb is a popular venue for concerts and music events in Zagreb, Croatia. Here are some of the concerts that have been held at Arena Zagreb:

• Dino Merlin: Dino Merlin has performed at Arena Zagreb on multiple occasions, including concerts on December 15 and 16, 2023.
• Bryan Adams: Bryan Adams was a performer at Arena Zagreb in the past.
• Depeche Mode: Depeche Mode appeared at Arena Zagreb on July 23, 2023.
• Hauser: Hauser performed at Arena Zagreb on October 25 and 28, 2023.
• Željko Bebek: Željko Bebek played at Arena Zagreb on October 28, 2023.
• Željko Joksimović: Željko Joksimović performed at Arena Zagreb on November 11, 2023.
• Happy Fest: Happy Fest is scheduled to take place at Arena Zagreb on December 20, 2023.

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