Yad Eliyahu Arena

Nokia Arena
Location	51 Yigal Allon Street Tel Aviv, Israel
Opened	1963
Renovated	1972, 2005
Expanded	2005
Owner	Tel Aviv Municipality
Operator	Sport Palaces Limited
Capacity	11,700
Tenants
Maccabi Tel Aviv Israeli national basketball team

The Yad Eliyahu Arena (Hebrew: היכל הספורט יד אליהו‎), commercially Nokia Arena (Hebrew: היכל נוקיה‎), is a 11,700-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in southeastern Tel Aviv, Israel. The arena is home to the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, a member of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. The facility is the largest indoor sports arena in Israel, and it hosts the Israeli Super League final four, the State Cup final four and most of the Israeli national basketball team home games. 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).

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 it held a seating capacity 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 2009-2010-2011, Scorpions, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart and Enrique Iglesias.

The Mamma Mia! international tour played 24 shows at the venue as well.

References

External links

• Official website

Preceded by Sporthal Arena Antwerp	FIBA European Champions Cup Final Venue 1972	Succeeded by Country Hall du Sart Tilman Liège
Preceded by Peace and Friendship Stadium Athens	FIBA European Championships Final Venue 1994	Succeeded by Principe Felipe Arena Zaragoza
Preceded by Abdi İpekçi Arena Istanbul	FIBA Euro All star game Venue 1997	Succeeded by Max Schmeling Halle Berlin
Preceded by Arena Deurne Antwerp	Euroleague Final Venue 1972	Succeeded by Country Hall Liège
Preceded by Peace and Friendship Stadium Athens	Euroleague Final Venue 1994	Succeeded by Pabellón Príncipe Felipe Zaragoza
Preceded by Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona	Euroleague Final Venue 2004	Succeeded by Olimpiisky Arena Moscow

Coordinates: 32°3′39.41″N 34°47′28.80″E / 32.0609472°N 34.791333°E / 32.0609472; 34.791333