Unipol Arena (previously known as Futurshow Station, PalaMalaguti and originally Palasport Casalecchio) is an indoor sporting arena located in Casalecchio di Reno, Province of Bologna, Italy. The seating capacity of the arena for basketball games is 11,000 people, and the seating capacity for concerts is 20,000 people.[2] It was opened in December 1993.[3] It was home to the Virtus Bologna basketball team from 1996 to 2017.

Unipol Arena
Unipol Arena in January 2014
Map
Former namesPalasport Casalecchio (1993–1998)
PalaMalaguti (1998–2008)
Futurshow [it] Station (2008–2011)
LocationVia Gino Cervi, 2 40033 Casalecchio di Reno, Bologna
Coordinates44°29′9.01″N 11°14′53.26″E / 44.4858361°N 11.2481278°E / 44.4858361; 11.2481278
OwnerCostructa Spa - Bologna
OperatorClaudio Sabatini [it]
CapacityBasketball: 11,000
Concerts: 20,000
Construction
Built1991–1993
OpenedDecember 1993
Renovated2008–2009, 2016–2017
Expanded2016
ArchitectStudio Arco (Mauro Checcoli, Maria Beatrice Bergamaschi), Luigi Villano and Franco Zarri[1]
Tenants
Virtus Bologna (1996–2017)
Fortitudo Bologna (1997–1999, 2020–present)
Website
www.unipolarena.it

It is served by Casalecchio Palasport railway station.

History edit

During the year 2008, the arena had restyling works, which included a new museum dedicated to Virtus' history, four new JumboTrons, new white seats and black stairs, and new white parquet. In October 2011, the arena changed its name to the current Unipol Arena, in a name sponsorship marketing deal, which was scheduled to last through 2016.[4]

In summer 2016, the capacity of the arena for basketball games increased from 8,650 up to 11,000. Other museums were also built, one dedicated to Futurshow, and one dedicated to Luciano Pavarotti.

Entertainment edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Una costruzione adeguata per il successo della cittÃ". archive.wikiwix.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  2. ^ "STRUTTURA | Unipol Arena" (in Italian). Unipol Arena. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24.
  3. ^ Salaborsa, Biblioteca. "1993 - Il PalaMalaguti di Ceretolo - Cronologia di Bologna dal 1796 a oggi". Biblioteca salaborsa. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  4. ^ Virtus nell'arena Unipol Archived March 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (in Italian)
  5. ^ Jones, Abby (May 8, 2018). "Shawn Mendes Announces Self-Titled International Arena Tour". Billboard. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  6. ^ Scott Bernstein (2 October 2019). "Eric Clapton Announces European Tour 2020". Jam Base Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2019.

External links edit

Preceded by EuroLeague
Final Four
Venue

2002
Succeeded by