László Papp Budapest Sports Arena

Sports venue in Budapest, Hungary

The László Papp Budapest Sports Arena (Papp László Budapest Sportaréna), also known as Budapest Sports Arena or locally just Arena, is a multi purpose indoor arena in Budapest, Hungary. It is the second biggest sports complex in the country after MVM Dome, which is also in the capital, and it is named after Hungarian boxer László Papp. The venue can hold up to 12,500 people in its largest concert configuration, up to 11,390 for boxing and 9,479 for ice hockey. It was built as a replacement for the Budapest Sports Hall (Budapest Sportcsarnok, or BS for short) which stood in the same place and was destroyed in a fire in December 1999. A long distance bus station is situated under the building.

Construction of the arena began on 30 June 2001, after the original, the Budapest Sportcsarnok, built in 1982, burnt to the ground on 15 December 1999. The hall was finished quickly, within a year and a half, and the opening ceremony was held on 13 March 2003. Since 28 May 2004, the arena wears the name of Hungarian boxing great László Papp and is officially known as Papp László Budapest Sports Arena. The building has a total weight of 200,000 tons and contains 50,000 tons of concrete, 2,300 tons of steel structure, more than 11,000,000 bolts and several kilometres of cable. The arena also is the top venue in the area for touring international musicians and performers, as well as dance recitals, operas, dramas, circuses, musicals and a variety of other special events. Starting from 2008, every year in the Budapest Sports Arena takes place the Tennis Classics, an exhibition tennis tournament with participation of former and current tennis aces. During the years, Budapest welcomed players like Stefan Edberg, Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl or Thomas Muster and reigning stars, such as Robin Söderling and Tomáš Berdych. In addition, beside the Főnix Hall in Debrecen, Budapest Sports Arena was the other host venue of the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship. Between 17 and 23 April 2011, the arena was the home of the 2011 IIHF World Championship Division I. The event enjoyed particular attention by the fans throughout the week and the number of 8700 spectators that attended on the decisive last round match between Hungary and Italy is close to equal to the figures produced by the top division World Championship final, held a week later in Bratislava, Slovakia. Following the decision of the European Handball Federation Executive Committee, the organization rights of the 2014 European Women's Handball Championship were awarded to Croatia and Hungary. Budapest Sports Arena was set to host the conclusive stage of the tournament, including the semifinals, the bronze medal match and final. The Final Four of the Women's EHF Champions League has been annually taking place in the arena since 2014. The 2017 World Judo Championships was also held in the Arena. At the 2022 European Men's Handball Championship and for the next main handball events in Hungary, the arena is replaced by the New Budapest Arena.

The building is protected by several fire safety systems. One of these is the protection alarm system, which in the event of a fire gives off the alarm within three seconds. The Budapest Sports Arena is also equipped with a fire hydrant system that, in the case of a catastrophe, can be used at more than sixty positions in the building. Every point of the arena can be reached with the help of the fire hoses. As a unique feature in Hungary, the building also contains three high output water cannons. All three are positioned in the auditorium protecting the area that caused the destruction of the arena's predecessor. The Arena also has numerous fire doors that automatically lock in the case of a fire, so preventing the further spreading of a fire.

Concerts at László Papp Budapest Sports Arena Date Artists Event2003 23 April Bryan Adams 15 May Paul McCartney 4 June Harlem Globetrotters 18 June Yes 23 June Dave Gahan 16 October Eros Ramazzotti 24 October Bob Dylan Never Ending Tour 2003 3 November Robbie Williams Cock of Justice Tour 18 November Deep Purple 2004 23 March Limp Bizkit 3 April Buena Vista Social Club 5 April Pink Try This Tour 25 April Ennio Morricone 15 May Peter Gabriel 23 May Britney Spears The Onyx Hotel Tour 2 June Cher The Farewell Tour 21 July Santana 8 September Sarah Brightman Harem World Tour 4 December David Copperfield 9 December Diana Krall 2005 22 January R. E. M. 17 February Anastacia Live at Last Tour 26 February Andrea Bocelli 27 February Rammstein 17 April Seal 23 April Queen + Paul Rodgers 2005 2006 Tour 4 May Mark Knopfler 24 May Joe Cocker 5 June Avril Lavigne Bonez Tour 8 June Duran Duran 9 June Green Day 23 August Marilyn Manson 26 October Phil Collins 12 November Tiësto 4 December Simple Red 2006 26 February Deep Purple 5 March Chris Rea 21 March Depeche Mode 10 April Liza Minnelli 22 April Eros Ramazzotti 23 May Il Divo 24 May Ricky Martin 31 May Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy Tour 19 June 50 Cent 20 June Sting 18 July Eric Clapton 21 November Bryan Adams 29 November Aida 2007 5 March Shakira Oral Fixation Tour 14 April Roger Waters The Dark Side of the Moon Live 16 September Black Eyed Peas Black Blue & You Tour 10 October Muse Black Holes and Revelations Tour 19 October Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour 30–31 October Cirque du Soleil Delirium2008 29 February–1 March Cirque du Soleil Delirium 12 May Mark Knopfler 15 May Kylie Minogue KylieX2008 10 September Snoop Dogg 23 September Coldplay Viva la Vida Tour 25 October James Blunt 28 October Queen + Paul Rodgers Rock the Cosmos Tour 12 November Jean Michel Jarre 2009 23 March AC/DC Black Ice World Tour 24 March Pink Funhouse Tour 29 April Beyoncé I Am World Tour 1 July Dream Theater 15 October ZZ Top 11 November Tom Jones 2010 11 January Depeche Mode 16 March Rammstein 24 May Jean Michel Jarre 28 May Kiss 15 September Placebo 1 October Katy Perry 4 October Ozzy Osbourne 6 November Sting 7 November Lady Gaga The Monster Ball Tour 9–12 December Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco2011 21 March Faithless 8 April Slayer Megadeth 5 May Shakira The Sun Comes Out World Tour 1 June Roxette 6 June Scorpions 22 June Roger Waters The Wall Live 30 June Sting 5 July Santana 19 September George Michael Symphonicity Tour 30 September Britney Spears Femme Fatale Tour 10 November Rammstein 23 November Sade Sade Live 8 December Rihanna Loud Tour2012 17 February Dream Theater 27 March Loreena McKennitt 28 April The Prodigy 29 April Nightwish 15 May André Rieu 17–20 May Cirque du Soleil Alegría 27 June Julio Iglesias 28 June Duran Duran 19 July Bryan Adams 17 October Dead Can Dance 20 November Muse 2013 5–6 February Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour 7 February Slash 28 March Yanni 6 April Vaya Con Dios 8 April Eros Ramazzotti 22 June Mark Knopfler 7 November Bruno Mars 8 November Nickelback 9 November Andrea Bocelli 2014 15 February Ennio Morricone 17 February Deep Purple 25 April Robbie Williams Swings Both Ways Live 31 May André Rieu 18 October Kylie Minogue Kiss Me Once Tour 2 November Michael Bublé To Be Loved Tour2015 5 February Slipknot 13–15 February Cirque du Soleil Quidam 19 May Roxette 20 May André Rieu 7 June OneRepublic Native Tour 29–30 August Violetta Violetta Live 22–23 October Lord of the Dance 18 November Slash 23 November Andrea Bocelli 12 December Nightwish 2016 17 January Ennio Morricone 29 February Scorpions 50th Anniversary Tour 26 April Lara Fabian 11 May Hans Zimmer 19 May André Rieu 1 June Black Sabbath The End Tour 22 June Anastacia Ultimate Collection Tour 1 September Red Hot Chili Peppers The Getaway World Tour 2 September 16 September Nickelback No Fixed Address Tour 9 October Bryan Adams 27 October The Cure 8 November Ian Gillan 10 November Jean Michel Jarre 11 November Placebo 12 December Eros Ramazzotti 29 December Gloria Gaynor 2017 20 January José Carreras 27 February Lindsey Stirling 17 March Mireille Mathieu 3 April Tini Got Me Started Tour 12–14 May Cirque du Soleil Varekai 30 May Bruno Mars 24K Magic World Tour 1 June Hans Zimmer 16 June André Rieu 18 June Green Day Revolution Radio Tour 26 June Foo Fighters Concrete and Gold Tour 13 October Sting 18 October Ennio Morricone 4 November Queen + Adam Lambert Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2017 2018 5 November James Newton Howard 6 November Chris Rea 13 November Gorillaz Humanz Tour 25 November Andrea Bocelli 20 December Sarah Brightman 2018 29 January Rod Stewart 2 February Depeche Mode Global Spirit Tour 18 February Emeli Sandé 21 February Kraftwerk 26 February Caro Emerald 11–12 March Enrique Iglesias All the Hits Live 5 April Metallica WorldWired Tour 8 April Lara Fabian 2 May Roger Waters Us + Them Tour 4 May Rag'n'Bone Man 8 May James Blunt The Afterlove Tour 3 June Lenny Kravitz 17 June Arcade Fire 23 June Massive Attack 24 June Judas Priest 16 July Quincy Jones 15 August David Helfgott 4 September Ricky Martin 10 October David Garrett 20 November Nightwish 19 December José Carreras 2019 18 January Blake 23 January Ennio Morricone 16 February Guido & Maurizio De Angelis 25 February Nicki Minaj The Nicki Wrld Tour 12 March Mike Shinoda 29 March Loreena McKennitt 14 April Rhoda Scott 15 May Giorgio Moroder 24 May Vanessa Mae 28 May Muse 11 June Slayer 17 June System of a Down 22 June Tom Jones 23 June Maluma 11:11 World Tour 25 June Backstreet Boys DNA World Tour 26 June Dead Can Dance A Celebration – Life and Works 1980 2019 27 June Toto 40 Trips Around The Sun Tour 2 July Sting My Songs Tour 9 July Mark Knopfler Down the Road Wherever Tour 17 July Paul Anka Celebrating 60 Years of Hits His Way 17 August Luis Fonsi Vida World Tour 29 September Il Volo Musica Tour 24 October Eros Ramazzotti Vita Ce N’è World Tour 5 October Boris Brejcha 16 November Andrea Bocelli 3 December Ghost A Pale Tour Named Death 9 December Deep Purple The Long Goodbye Tour2020 22 January Sabaton 4 February Slipknot We Are Not Your Kind World Tour 8 February Dream Theater 20 February Five Finger Death Punch 3 March Mireille Mathieu 4 March Papa Roach2022 11 April Hans Zimmer Europe Tour 2022 8 May Dead Can Dance Europa 2022 11 May 2Cellos Dedicated World Tour 13 May OneRepublic 18 May Ghost Imperatour 24 May Tool 30 May Scorpions Rock Believer Tour 21 June Korn 23 June Postmodern Jukebox 5 July Five Finger Death Punch 11 July Judas Priest 12 July Pearl Jam Gigaton Tour13 JulyHarry StylesLove On Tour 14 July Kiss End of the Road World Tour 10 September Mero 27 September Harlem Globetrotters Spread Game 2 October Sum 41 & Simple Plan 15 October Andrea Bocelli 20 October Lara Fabian 25 October 50 Cent 26 October The Cure Cure Tour Euro 22 27 October Sting My Songs 28 October Il Divo 5 November Boris Brejcha2023 14 March Robbie Williams XXV Tour 19 April Eros Ramazotti 16 May Måneskin Loud Kids Tour Gets Louder 21 May Diana Krall 22 May Pentatonix Pentatonix: The World Tour 5 June Hans Zimmer 9 July Manfred Mann's Earth Band 16 July Deep Purple Whoosh! Tour 18 July Hollywood Vampires 15 September Louis Tomlinson Faith in the Future World Tour 27 September Two Steps from Hell 9 October Il Volo 10 October 5 Seconds of Summer The 5 Seconds of Summer Show 18 October 50 CentThe Final Lap Tour 20 November Black Veil Brides 29 November José Carreras2024 16 January The King's Singers When You Wish Upon A Star 7 March LP Love Lines Tour 17 March The Rose Dawn to Dusk Tour 31 April Sting 13 June Tool 29 June Scorpions Love at First Sting Tour 30 July Lenny Kravitz Blue Electric Light Tour 2024