| Bizkaia Arena | |
|---|---|
| BEC | |
| Location | Ronda de Azkue Nr. 1, 48902 Barakaldo, Basque Country, Spain |
| Opened | November 2004 |
| Capacity | Concerts: 26,000 Sports: 18,640 Basketball:10,400[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Bizkaia Bilbao Basket (2009-2010) | |
Bizkaia Arena is an indoor arena in Barakaldo, Greater Bilbao. It is the biggest multipurpose hall in Spain as it can hold up to 26,000 people[2], 18,640 for most indoor sports. The arena is part of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) complex, the new Exhibition and Congress Centre of Bilbao and Biscay since April 2004.
The venue regularly hosts basketball games. It was the home arena of the Bilbao Basket club in the 2009-10 ACB season (in 2007 and 2008 it was occasionally used for their most attractive games).[1][3] It hosted the 2010 Copa del Rey Final Eight, and it will be one of the six venues for the 2014 FIBA World Championship organized by Spain.
Several international pop and rock bands have performed at the Bizkaia Arena.
The venue has also been used for other kind of shows (opera[4], Disney on Ice, etc.), political speeches, and religious meetings.