Arena Burgas
Multifunctional indoor arena in Burgas, Bulgaria
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arena Burgas (Bulgarian: Арена Бургас) is a multifunctional indoor arena located in Burgas, Bulgaria. The arena opened on 18 May 2023.[3] It has a seating capacity of 4,100 for sports events, which is expandable up to 6,100, and up to 15,000 for concerts.[1] The arena is home to BC Chernomorets, who play in the NBL, the top flight of Bulgarian basketball.
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 Interactive map of Arena Burgas | |
| Location | Burgas, Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Owner | Burgas Municipality |
| Capacity | 4,100 (expandable to 6,100) Concerts: ~15,000[1] |
| Parking | 800 spaces |
| Construction | |
| Groundbreaking | 20 October 2014 |
| Opened | 18 May 2023 |
Cost | BGN 64 million EUR 32.7 million[2] |
| Architect | Ivaylo Petkov |
| Tenants | |
| BC Chernomorets (NBL) (2023–2024) | |
History
Construction for the arena took over eight years. After breaking ground in late 2014 with a planned budget of 38 million Bulgarian lev and a completion date of January 2017, the project was met with multiple delays and funding issues,[4][5] with the final official budget figure ballooning to 64 million.[2]
In 2022, under then-Minister of Youth and Sports Radostin Vassilev, a proposal was made to grant an additional 15 million lev in funding to finish the arena, but was unsuccessful.[1] Following more than five years of delays, the venue was officially opened on 18 May 2023, in the presence of Bulgarian president Rumen Radev, Burgas mayor Dimitar Nikolov, and other government officials,[6] with a playoffs match between BC Chernomorets and BC Rilski Sportist of the NBL.[7]
The long delays, alongside the string of both successful and failed budget increases, have turned the multipurpose arena into a symbol of corruption in Burgas[8] and Bulgaria as a whole,[2][9] with Hristo Ivanov, leader of the opposition coalition Democratic Bulgaria, describing it in 2021 as the "crown jewel of corruption" under Boyko Borisov and GERB.[10]
Events
In 2023, the arena hosted Glory 89, a kickboxing event headlined by Petpanomrung Kiatmuu9 and David Mejia.[11] In March 2024, it hosted the 2024 Bulgarian Basketball Cup. In 2025, Arena Burgas also hosted pool 4 of the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League.