Saitama Super Arena


Saitama Super Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. It opened preliminarily on May 5, 2000, and then officially opened on September 1 of the same year. Its spectator capacity is 36,500 at maximum settings, making it the fourth largest indoor arena in the world. The main arena capacity is between 19,000 and 22,500.
The arena was designed by Dan Meis, who at the time was working for architecture firm Ellerbe Becket, together with Nikken Sekkei. Meis's design was selected as a result of an international design competition. The arena features a gigantic movable section of seating which can reduce capacity for smaller events and create a more intimate setting.
It is a favorite venue for puroresu and mixed martial arts, and has hosted many of the biggest fights in MMA history. It has also hosted other sports events such as boxing, basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics. It is also the only Japanese arena equipped especially for American football.
It formerly housed the John Lennon Museum, which displayed John Lennon memorabilia and closed in 2010.

Access

Martial arts and professional wrestling

The Saitama Super Arena has hosted a major martial arts event on New Year's Eve since 2001. It was sanctioned by Pride Fighting Championships from 2003 to 2006. The 2007 edition was hosted by Yarennoka, an MMA promotion organized by the former staff members of Pride Fighting Championship. Dynamite!! 2008 featured Dream and K-1 fights. Dynamite!! 2009 featured fights by Dream, Sengoku and K-1. Dynamite!! 2010 featured Dream and K-1 fights. featured fights by Dream, K-1 and IGF. The 2012 edition featured Dream and Glory fights. Since 2015 the event is the final round of the Rizin Fighting Federation.
On February 7, 2005 the arena hosted WWE Raw for United States cable television network Spike TV. The main event of the Raw hour was Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels, and the main event of the Raw Zone hour featured Triple H against Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship.
On November 29, 2009, the arena hosted one of the biggest fights in Japan's history as WBC Flyweight Champion Daisuke Naito defends his title against Koki Kameda.
The arena hosted the Japanese return of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 26, 2012 for UFC 144. Followed by on March 3, 2013 and on September 20, 2014 as well as on September 26, 2015.
On November 7, 2019, Japanese bantamweight boxer Naoya Inoue defeated Nonito Donaire at the arena to claim the 2018–19 World Boxing Super Series.

Other sports

It is one of two home arenas of the Saitama Broncos basketball team.
In 2000, the arena hosted two NHL ice hockey games between the Nashville Predators and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In 2003, NBA basketball teams Seattle SuperSonics and the Los Angeles Clippers, played two regular season games. In 2006, the arena hosted the knockout stage of the Basketball World Championship 2006. In 2019, the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors played two preseason games at the arena.
The 2014 and 2019 World Figure Skating Championships were held at the venue.
The arena will host basketball competitions at 2020 Summer Olympics hosted by Tokyo.

Music

Besides sport and martial arts competition, there were held many music events, like Music Station, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, Animelo Summer Live, or humanitary Dream Power concerts organized by Yoko Ono. Many notable Japanese music acts performed at the arena, alphabetically: AKB48, Namie Amuro, B'z, Babymetal, Bump of Chicken, Minori Chihara, Masaharu Fukuyama, Gackt, Glay, Ayumi Hamasaki, Tomoyasu Hotei, The Gazette, Janne Da Arc, Kamen Joshi, Berryz Kobo, Mai Kuraki, L'Arc-en-Ciel, Luna Sea, Nana Mizuki, Man with a Mission, Momoiro Clover Z, Morning Musume, Mr. Children, Nightmare, Nogizaka46, Kana Nishino, One Ok Rock, Pierrot, Radwimps, Sakamoto Maaya, Scandal, Shiina Ringo, Siam Shade, Sid, Spyair, Sound Horizon, Hikaru Utada, Vamps and fripSide.
Some anime projects like Uta no Prince-sama, Love Live!, K-On!, The Idolmaster, and Touken Ranbu have featured live performances at the arena.
International artists also performed there, like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Guns N' Roses, Beyoncé, Linkin Park, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Avril Lavigne, Backstreet Boys, Muse, DragonForce, Metallica, Radiohead, AC/DC, Jeff Mills, Taylor Swift, U2, Iron Maiden, One Direction, Katy Perry, and K-pop acts BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, BTS, SS501, Kara, Girls' Generation, Apink, Big Bang, 2PM, F.T. Island, 2NE1, Shinee, CNBLUE, Seventeen, Kim Jae-joong, Exo, Twice and NCT 127. Queen + Paul Rodgers performed there and the concerts were depicted in the concert DVD Super Live in Japan. Green Day taped the show for their new live album titled Awesome as Fuck. The Coverdale's band Whitesnake during the Loud Park Festival recorded their performance for a live album Made in Japan. The Festival has also had other internationally renowned rock and metal bands like Scorpions, Amorphis, Nightwish, Exodus and Slayer. Due to his particular brand of Electronic Metal, Venezuelan DJ Zardonic played a guest set at the Big Rock Stage, making it the first time in history that an Electronic Producer performs at the festival.

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