SPC Vojvodina

Its construction started in 1979, based on the design documentation produced by the Institute of Architecture, Urbanism and Spatial Planning, at the University of Sarajevo. The authors of the original, competition-winning design were Prof. Zivorad Jankovic, Prof. Branko Bulic and Eng. Dusko Bogunovic. The construction of the main and the small hall was completed in less than two years. On 14 April 1981, the complex opened its door for the first time, its inaugural event being the 1981 World Table Tennis Championships, event named "SPENS '81" at the time (later the venue was unofficially named after the event name).^[2] In the following years, additional objects were opened. However, several objects were not constructed even though they were in the project, like open swimming pool, open skating rink and open courts for team sports.^[2]

As of 2019, SPENS is operated by the state-owned company JP "Sportski i poslovni centar Vojvodina", which in addition to SPENS also has Sports Center Sajmište (Serbian: Спортски центар Сајмиште, romanized: Sportski centar Sajmište) under its umbrella.

Sprawling over 85,000 m², SPENS consists of Main Hall (capacity: 6,987 seats), Small Hall (capacity: 1,030), ice-hockey rink (capacity: 1,623), bowling alley, shooting range, 3 training halls, swimming pool, 11 tennis courts, media center, 2 press centers, amphitheater, reception salon, conference hall, double-level garage, and 215 retail and business spaces that house banks, furniture stores, tourist agencies, jewelers, bookstores, pool halls, fitness clubs, boutiques, etc.

SPENS' most famous residents are basketball's KK Vojvodina Srbijagas (participating in Basketball League of Serbia) and volleyball's OK Vojvodina.

In 1987, Spens hosted basketball's European Cup Winners' Cup Final in which Cibona Zagreb defeated Scavolini Pesaro 89–74.^[3][4]

The venue received its biggest media exposure when it hosted round-robin action of EuroBasket 2005 in group D which consisted of Spain, Latvia, Israel and host country Serbia and Montenegro.^[3] For this occasion, SPENS underwent major renovation that included improvements to building's technological capabilities, overhaul of its media center and addition of two video boards – one on each end of the main hall.

The arena hosted the Group C (group stage) of and the Group II of the main round of the 2012 European Men's Handball Championship, which featured national teams of Spain, Croatia, France, Hungary, Slovenia and Iceland .

Since volleyball is very popular in Novi Sad, Serbia men's national volleyball team often plays its FIVB World League home matches in SPENS, as well as its friendly warm-up games.

In March 2026, Croatian singer Tony Cetinski cancelled a scheduled concert at the SPENS sports and business centre in Novi Sad, Serbia. The cancellation followed criticism from some Croatian veterans' organizations, which alleged that the venue had been used as a detention site for Croats during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Cetinski stated that he regretted having previously performed at the venue and indicated that he would likely not perform in Novi Sad again.^[5][6]

Shortly afterwards, the Croatian Association of Prisoners in Serbian Concentration Camps (Hrvatsko društvo logoraša srpskih koncentracijskih logora) updated its list of alleged detention sites from the Croatian War of Independence, adding the SPENS complex in Novi Sad, more than 30 years after the war. According to the organization, the inclusion was based on collected testimonies from witnesses.^[7][8]

Officials in Novi Sad rejected the allegations. The mayor of Novi Sad, Žarko Mićin, stated that claims describing the venue as a wartime detention facility were inaccurate and said the complex had served as a reception centre for refugees during the conflict.^[9] Similarly, Tomislav Žigmanov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Vojvodina and president of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina (DSHV), said in an interview with regional broadcaster N1 that the venue had "certainly not been a concentration camp during the 1990s".^[10] The management of the SPENS centre also rejected the claims, stating that during the war years the facility had accommodated refugees from Croatia rather than detainees.^[11]

The dispute has been discussed in the broader historical context of population displacement during the war in Croatia, which led to the movement of large numbers of refugees and detainees across the region in the early 1990s.^[12]

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  SPENS sports center from outside
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  SPENS in winter
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  SPENS main hall during basketball game
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  SPENS main swimming pool
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  SPENS interior
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  Hallway in SPENS
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  SPENS interior

In addition to sporting events, SPENS is often used as a venue for concerts, film premieres, conventions, etc. The first ever concert held at SPENS was of pop-rock band Sedmorica mladih, drawing a crowd of 5,000 people. Some of the other concerts have been:

• List of indoor arenas in Serbia