Menora Mivtachim Arena
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| Former names | Sports Palace at Yad Eliyahu, Nokia Arena |
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| Location | 51 Yigal Allon Street Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Owner | Tel Aviv Municipality |
| Operator | Sport Palaces Limited |
| Capacity | Basketball: 11,768 Concerts: 8,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Renovated | 1972, 2005 |
| Expanded | 2005 |
| Tenants | |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv Israeli national basketball team |
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Menora Mivtachim Arena (Hebrew: היכל מנורה מבטחים) is a large multi-purpose sports arena in southern Tel Aviv, Israel. It is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Tel Aviv Area.
The arena is home to the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, a member of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It hosted the Israeli Super League final four, the State Cup final four and most of the Israeli national basketball team home games. It also hosted the European Basketball Champions Cup Final Four in 1994 and the Euroleague Final Four in 2004. In other sports, it has hosted a Davis Cup World Group match between Israel and France in 1989, and the Davis Cup quarterfinals between Israel and Russia in July 2009.
The arena is owned by the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is managed by Sports Palaces Ltd., a company also fully owned by the municipality (which also manages Bloomfield Stadium).
On January 1, 2015 the arena changed its name to Menora Mivtachim Arena (Hebrew: היכל מנורה מבטחים).
History
The arena was opened on 17 September 1963 with a game between the national basketball teams of Israel and Yugoslavia, in which the latter won 69-64.
In its early years, the arena held a capacity of 5,000 spectators, with just concrete stands, without any seats, and without a roof. In 1972, a second floor of tiers was built, increasing the capacity to 10,000 spectators. The concrete stands were covered by seats and the arena was covered with a roof. Further renovations through the years 2006–2008 modernized the arena further, added commercial facilities, and increased its capacity to 11,700.
The arena hosted the FIBA European All star game in 1997, the FIBA European Champions Cup final game in 1972, and the Euroleague Final four in 1994 and 2004.
Entertainment
The arena has hosted musical acts such as Teen Angels, Scorpions, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, Oasis, LMFAO, Cirque du Soleil, Philipp Kirkorov, Natalia Oreiro, Alicia Keys, Julio and Enrique Iglesias.
The Mamma Mia! international tour played 24 shows at the venue as well.
On december 19 and 20 2015 has hosted comedian Jerry Seinfeld in his first live performance in Israel. four times, sold out the four events.
Gallery
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Yad Eliyahu Arena at night.JPG
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Ayalon2266.jpg
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Yad Eliyahu Arena Davis Cup.JPG
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Yad-eliyaho-stadium001.jpg
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Skatepark Galit.JPG
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Nokia Arena Panorama Davis cup Israel Russia 2009 2.jpg
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See also
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nokia Arena. |
| Preceded by | FIBA European Champions Cup Final Venue 1972 |
Succeeded by Country Hall du Sart Tilman Liège |
| Preceded by | FIBA European Championships Final Four Venue 1994 |
Succeeded by Pabellón Príncipe Felipe Zaragoza |
| Preceded by | FIBA Euro All star game Venue 1997 |
Succeeded by Max Schmeling Halle Berlin |
| Preceded by | Euroleague Final Four Venue 2004 |
Succeeded by Olimpiisky Arena Moscow |
