Lukoil Arena

Lukoil Arena is a big stadium located northwest of Moscow, Russia. It used to be called Otkritie Bank Arena and Spartak Stadium. The stadium is mainly used for football games and is where the home matches of Spartak Moscow are played.

The stadium can hold up to 45,360 people, making it a large venue for sports events. It has also been used for important matches involving the Russian national football team. During the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, it was known officially as Spartak Stadium.

Background

Spartak Moscow did not have its own stadium and had to play home matches at other stadiums like Luzhniki, Lokomotiv, Dynamo, Torpedo, and Olympic.

In 1994, they tried to build their own stadium near the Botanical Garden, but it was stopped because local people did not want it there. Later, they chose a spot near four metro stations: "Botanical Garden", "Sviblovo", "Otradnoye" and "Vladykino". However, building there was too expensive, so the plans were stopped.

In 2001, they made new plans to build a smaller stadium with an amusement park nearby, but they did not have enough money to start building.

History

The first ceremony for the stadium happened on July 2, 2007. However, building it took much longer than planned because of problems with planning and money. By 2009, they were still designing it. In 2010, they changed the design because it wasn't special enough. A big company helped create the new design.

The stadium finally opened on September 5, 2014, with a friendly match between Spartak Moscow and Red Star Belgrade, ending in a 1-1 draw. It was used for big events like the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Famous musicians have also performed there.

The stadium has special areas to help people with disabilities get around easily. In 2018, it was named the best stadium in Russia. However, in February 2024, it couldn't host matches because of problems with the grass field after heavy snow and heating issues.

2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

The Lukoil Arena, also called Spartak Stadium during big events, was used for matches in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. This tournament brought together teams from different parts of the world for exciting football games.

The stadium can hold up to 45,360 fans, making it a lively place for supporters to cheer their teams.

2018 FIFA World Cup

The Lukoil Arena, also called Spartak Stadium during the event, was one of the venues for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was used for important matches during the tournament. The stadium can hold up to 45,360 fans.

Concerts

Lukoil Arena has hosted many famous concerts. Some of these include Muse, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, and Ed Sheeran, among others. These events have brought lots of excitement to the stadium over the years.

Security

To get ready for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the stadium got new video cameras and systems to check fans. The safety plans were made by the 2018 World Cup Local Organising Committee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Federal Security Service, working together with the stadium’s staff.