| VIDA Arena | |
|---|---|
| Location | Växjö, Sweden |
| Broke ground | September 2010 |
| Opened | September 2011 |
| Owner | Vida Group |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 5,229 |
| Tenants | |
| Växjö Lakers (SEL) | |
Vida Arena (branded as VIDA Arena) is an indoor sporting arena located in Växjö, Sweden. The construction of the arena began in September 2010 and was finished in summer 2011. The arena opened in September 2011[1] and is best known for being the Växjö Lakers' new home arena. Although mainly intended to be used for ice hockey events, the Vida Arena is also used for other events such as concerts and news conferences.[2]
As of the 2011–12 season, Vida Arena is the Elitserien's newest arena but has a spectator capacity of 5,229, making it the Elitserien's capacity-wise smallest arena.[3] However, the design allows for future extensions that could increase the capacity to 6,500 spectators.[4] The spectator capacity is planned for extension to 6,000 during autumn 2011.[5]
Vida Arena is part of the sports complex "Arenastaden" (Arena town), which also includes a new soccer stadium, a floorball arena, and an arena for athletics.[6] Vida Arena is connected with Växjö Ishall, an old arena inaugurated in 1970 that, since a renovation which took place in 2006, has a comparable capacity of 4,000 spectators.[7] The Vida Group acquired the naming rights for the arena in September 2010, for the upcoming 14 years.[1]
The arena was officially inaugurated on 17 September 2011, in an ice hockey game between Växjö Lakers and Linköpings HC. The arena tickets for the game were outsold within just one hour, with the Lakers' marketing manager speculating that they could've sold out two arenas.[8] Växjö Lakers former crowd favorite Shjon Podein watched the game live in the arena. Linköping won the game 4–2 in front of 5,502 spectators, which is so far the crowd record in the new arena.[9][10] However, the Lakers' premier game on 13 September, on away ice against Frölunda HC, was shown on the Vida Arena's JumboTron in front of 2,400 spectators, with free entrance, as a preview of the Vida Arena experience and a test of the arena's technical features. Frölunda won the game 2–0.[11][12][13]
Vida Arena is the first cashless arena in Sweden.[14] Vida Arena will host the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2012 on 4 February 2012. This will be the third time that Växjö hosts a Melodifestivalen stage, after 2002 and 2005.[15]
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