László Papp Budapest Sports Arena

File:Papp László Sportaréna Ticket Booth.jpg

File:Lady Gaga Budapest 1.png

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.budapestarena.hu/html/?module=arenarol|title=Our history|publisher=Budapest Sports Arena Official Website|access-date=17 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721104222/http://www.budapestarena.hu/html/?module=arenarol|archive-date=21 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}

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 state-of-the-art multifunctional plaza is capable of hosting almost any sort of sporting or civic event, such as basketball, gymnastics, ice skating and ice hockey, and other athletics events. It can also host extreme or thrilling events like monster trucks, motocross, jet-skiing or indoor wave surfing competitions.{{cite web|url=http://en.budapestarena.hu/html/esemeny_tipusok-az_arenaban.html|title=Event types|publisher=Budapest Sports Arena Official Website|access-date=17 June 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611031100/http://en.budapestarena.hu/html/esemeny_tipusok-az_arenaban.html|archive-date=11 June 2011|df=dmy-all}} 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.

The first major international event held in the arena was the 2003 IIHF World Championship Division I, in which the hosts finished third. Next year the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships was organized in the hall between 5 and 7 March, followed by the final rounds and placement matches of the 2004 European Women's Handball Championship in December. A year later, Budapest Sports Arena hosted the 2005 World Wrestling Championships.

In 2007, the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation celebrated its 80th anniversary with a friendly match against defending Olympic and World champions Sweden, played at the arena. In a closely fought battle, Hungary finally triumphed 2–1 in overtime against the Scandinavians to the delight of their 8,000 fans.{{cite news|url=http://www.origo.hu/sport/jegkorong/20070329magyarorszag.html|title=Legyőzte az olimpia- és világbajnokot a magyar hokiválogatott|work=Origo.hu|date=29 March 2007|access-date=17 June 2011|language=hu}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.tennisclassics.hu/|title=Tennis Classics Official Website|access-date=17 June 2011|language=hu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719144349/http://tennisclassics.hu/|archive-date=19 July 2018|url-status=dead}} In addition, beside the Főnix Hall in Debrecen, Budapest Sports Arena was the other host venue of the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/futsaleuro/news/0257-0de751a87e76-96c6b4c28bc4-1000--hungary-awarded-next-finals/|title=Hungary awarded next finals|publisher=Union of European Football Associations|date=1 December 2007|access-date=17 June 2011}}

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.{{cite news|url=http://www.eurohandball.com/article/13831|title=Women's EHF EURO 2014 goes to Hungary and Croatia|publisher=European Handball Federation|date=9 April 2011|access-date=17 June 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://handball.hu/2011/04/09/magyar-horvat_europa-bajnoksag_lesz/|title=Magyar-horvát Európa-bajnokság lesz!|publisher=Handball.hu|date=9 April 2011|access-date=17 June 2011|language=hu}}

The Final Four of the Women's EHF Champions League has been annually taking place in the arena since 2014.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nemzetisport.hu/kezilabda/noi-kezi-bl-tovabbi-harom-evig-budapesten-a-final-four-hivatalos-2528039|title=Női kézi BL: további három évig Budapesten a final four – hivatalos|date=27 September 2016|website=NSO.hu}}

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.

{{more citations needed section|date=July 2017}}

• List of indoor arenas in Hungary

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{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website|http://www.budapestarena.hu}} {{in lang|hu}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120325203343/http://www.kozti.hu/building.php?lang=EN&id=5 Budapest Sports Arena on KÖZTI website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111118100851/http://www.sportconcepts.net/budapest.html Budapest Sports Arena on Sport Concepts website]

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{{Succession box

| title = IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
Venue

| years = 2004

| before = National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

| after = Olimpiysky Stadium, Moscow

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Women's Handball Championship
Final venue

| years = 2004

| before = Atletion, Aarhus

| after = Hovet, Stockholm

}}

{{Succession box

| title = FILA Wrestling World Championships
Venue

| years = 2005

| before = Madison Square Garden, New York City
and
Palais des Sports Robert Oubron, Créteil

| after = Tianhe Sports Center, Guangzhou

}}

{{Succession box

| title = European Judo Championships
Venue

| years = 2013

| before = Traktor Ice Arena, Chelyabinsk

| after = Park&Suites Arena, Montpellier

}}

{{Succession box

| title = FILA Wrestling World Championships
Venue

| years = 2013

| before = Sinan Erdem Dome, Istanbul
and
Millennium Place, Strathcona County

| after = Tashkent

}}

{{S-end}}

{{EAA members}}

{{IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics venues}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena}}

Category:Indoor arenas in Hungary

Category:Ice hockey venues in Hungary

Category:Sports venues in Budapest

Category:Indoor track and field venues

Category:Basketball venues in Hungary

Category:Handball venues in Hungary

Category:Music venues in Budapest

Category:Tennis venues in Hungary

Category:Sports venues completed in 2003

Category:2003 establishments in Hungary