CTS Eventim’s New Milan Arena Opens, Name Unveiled

CTS Eventim opened Italy’s newest indoor arena for sports and live entertainment yesterday, Feb. 5, just in time and operational for the Olympic Winter Games.

By CTS Eventim’s own admission, the new arena will be “the largest, most innovative and most sustainable indoor arena for live entertainment and sports in Milano.”

During the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Italy, the venue will be known as the “Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena”. It celebrated its successful premiere with a preliminary round match in the women’s Olympic ice hockey tournament between Italy and France yesterday.

CTS Eventim has struck a naming rights deal with Italian financial services company Unipol, naming the Milan arena Unipol Dome. It will host its first concert on May 6, 2026, headlined by Luciano Ligabue, one of Italy’s most influential and bestselling rock artists of all time.

Developed and soon to be operated by CTS Eventim, the arena represents a milestone in Milan’s development as a European cultural metropolis. The ground-breaking ceremony took place Nov. 28, 2023.

In this relatively short period, “a state-of-the-art building was created that fully meets the demanding functional, technical and safety requirements of an Olympic event as well as future major events,” according to a press release from CTS Eventim. Its architecture and design features Europe’s largest LED media façade of its kind.

Following the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the arena will be finalized for its long-term use in live entertainment and sports under the name Unipol Dome.

According to CTS Eventim, “it will become a central venue for large-scale productions, international tours and major sports events. High-quality premium and hospitality areas are an integral part of the concept and underscore the ambition to deliver a first-class experience for artists, promoters and fans alike.

Klaus-Peter Schulenberg, CEO, CTS Eventim, commented, “This arena is celebrating its premiere on the biggest possible stage. The fact that we were able to complete it in such a short time, on schedule and operational for the Olympic Winter Games, and that Olympic and Paralympic competitions are now taking place here for the first time, is an extraordinary success. I am already looking forward to the official opening of the future Unipol Dome as a multi-purpose venue in May, which we will celebrate together with all our partners.”

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