Avicii Arena

Avicii Arena

Avicii Arena, originally called the Stockholm Globe Arena and later known as the Ericsson Globe, is a famous indoor arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Locals often just call it Globen. It is located in the Johanneshov district of Stockholm, near the Globen metro station.

The arena is part of the Sweden Solar System, the world's largest scale model of our Solar System, where it represents the Sun. Its unique design makes it a well-known landmark in the city.

Construction

Avicii Arena is the second largest round building on Earth. It took two and a half years to build. It is 110 metres wide and can hold up to 16,000 people for shows and concerts, or 13,850 for ice hockey.

The arena’s design was made by the architects Berg Arkitektkontor AB and it uses a special space structure to stay strong.

History

Globen opened on February 19, 1989, after being built in less than three years. Some of the first big events there were Melodifestivalen, the Ice Hockey World Championships, and the Men's European Volleyball Championships.

In 2009, the arena was called the Ericsson Globe after the company Ericsson bought the naming rights. The arena is nicknamed “Globen” because its shape looks like a globe.

In 2021, the arena was renamed the Avicii Arena to honor the famous Swedish DJ Avicii. A special performance of his song "For a Better Day" was recorded by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra with a young Swedish singer, Ella Tiritiello.

Plans were made in 2022 to renovate the arena in 2024 to get ready for big events like the 2025 IIHF World Championship and possibly the 2030 Winter Olympics. After reopening in 2025, the nearby Hovet arena will be torn down. In 2027, the arena will host games for the FIBA Women's EuroBasket. The NCC company will handle the renovation work.

Events

The Avicii Arena is mainly used for ice hockey. It was the home arena for teams like AIK, Djurgårdens IF, and Hammarby IF. It is also a popular spot for musical performances and other sports, such as futsal, which is indoor football.

The arena has hosted many important events. It was the venue for Sweden's qualifier show for the Eurovision Song Contest, called Melodifestivalen, until 2012, and it returned for some heats in 2022. It has also hosted the actual Eurovision Song Contest in 2000 and 2016. Other big events include the World Figure Skating Championships in March 2021, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a major Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament called the Major Stockholm 2021 in November 2021.

The arena has also been used for games by the National Hockey League, including matches in November 2019 and November 2023 as part of the NHL Global Series.

Concerts

The Avicii Arena is a popular place for big concerts. Many famous singers and bands have performed there. It can hold many people, making it exciting for live music fans.

Artwork

In May 2009, an artist named Mikael Genberg put a small house made of aluminum on top of the Avicii Arena. The house was about 12 square meters and showed two important symbols for Sweden: the arena building and a simple countryside house painted in Falu red with white trim. The house was placed a little away from the top of the arena. The artist hoped to one day put a similar house on the Moon, but this did not happen. The small house stayed there until October 2009.

Skyview

Skyview opened in February 2010. It is an inclined elevator that takes visitors to the top of the arena. From there, you can see almost all of Stockholm.

The elevator has two round cabins. Each cabin can hold up to 12 people. They move along tracks on the outside of the arena's southern side.