IG Arena, a new 17,000-seat facility in the Japanese city of Nagoya, celebrated its grand opening yesterday (Sunday) with the first day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. One of the biggest sports and entertainment facilities in Japan, IG Arena features a five-story hybrid-oval design, enabling it to easily host multiple types of sports, music,

UFC is set to host an event in Qatar for the first time on November 22 in Doha’s ABHA Arena. The debut of UFC Fight Night Doha is said to mark a major milestone in the organisation’s regional expansion across the Middle East, according to organisers. “I’ve always said we’re going to take UFC all

London Stadium’s foodservice and hospitality provider Delaware North has launched a new bar powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. The store, Bar Tap, is designed to help reduce queues and speed up service as well as including faster throughput during peak periods. “This launch is part of Delaware North’s global strategy to use best-in-class technology to elevate

Japanese agricultural machinery company Yanmar has acquired Dutch football team Almere City FC and its stadium from Kroonenberg Groep. The business has strong ties with the second division club having held naming rights to its 4,501-capacity Yanmar Stadion for ten years. It has also had a branch in Almere since 1989. The proposed transaction is

Sydney FC could see millions of dollars in compensation from government body Venues NSW for Allianz Stadium’s drainage issues. The A-League club is expected to make the claim following the results of a review into the venue’s drainage system, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald. The review is due to be completed in the

Sanjog Gupta has been appointed as chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Gupta will assume office today (Monday) and becomes the seventh person to serve in the role. Prior to his new position, Gupta was previously chief executive of sports and live experiences at JioStar and brings two decades of experience to the organisation.

The Busan Metropolitan Government has given the green light to a project which aims to transform Sajik Baseball Stadium into a “futuristic smart baseball park”. The ballpark, which has a current capacity of around 22,700, has been home to KBO League club Lotte Giants since opening in 1985. However, of late there have been repeated

The Australian and Queensland governments have today (Thursday) reached an agreement on venue infrastructure funding for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane. The national government has announced that its A$3.45bn (£1.66bn/€1.92bn/$2.27bn) contribution to the overall A$7.1bn venue infrastructure programme will be “refined and reallocated” to ensure legacy programmes are delivered for 2032 and

Plans to redevelop a historic stadium site in Tokyo are facing fresh opposition, with local politicians being urged to rethink the proposal. The project focuses on the redevelopment of the Jingu Gaien city park district, which houses Meiji Jingu Stadium and Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium. Meiji Jingu Stadium opened in 1926 and is one of the

An official mobile app is set to launch for IG Arena, a new 17,000-seat venue opening in the Japanese city of Nagoya later this month. The app is available to download now and will officially launch on July 13, when the venue opens. The app will enable guests to purchase and display tickets and place

Construction work on Tokyo’s new Toyota Arena has been completed, with the venue scheduled to open on October 3. The 10,000-capacity arena will serve as the home of B.League basketball club Alvark Tokyo, which has delivered the project in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corporation. The first event at the arena will be Alvark Tokyo’s opening

Central Coast Stadium, home of the A-League’s Central Coast Mariners, has struck a naming-rights deal with Polytec, an Australian decorative services brand. Polytec already serves as the front-of-shirt sponsor of the Mariners and the company has struck a 15-year deal to take on naming rights to the team’s home ground, which will now be known

Construction of Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium has reached another milestone after the first seat was installed at the venue last week. The stadium will have a total seated capacity of 30,000, with 25,000 permanent seats and 5,000 more to be added to a temporary stand at the northern end. The facility is scheduled to

Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet, France has been fitted with a new 15-metre transparent LED display designed by INFiLED and installed in collaboration with ND Tech Med. According to INFiLED, the installation is among the biggest transparent LED screens in Europe. The screen will broadcast live race coverage, interviews and sponsor messaging. INiLED designed

The Australian Football League (AFL) has completed a deal to acquire the historic Waverley Park stadium from Hawthorn FC, with the ground set to be used as a community and grassroots facility. Waverley Park, which is located in the Melbourne suburb of Mulgrave, was the first stadium specifically built for Aussie rules football, hosting 732

Japanese advertising agency Dentsu and several other firms have received fines totalling 3.3 billion yen (£16.7m/€19.6m/$22.8m) for their role in a bid-rigging scandal around test events for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. As well as Dentsu, fines have been handed out to Cerespo, Fuji Creative, Hakuhodo, Same Two and Tokyu Agency. Japan’s Fair Trade

The Australian Football League (AFL) has teamed up with Telstra to launch Touch and Track technology for blind and low-vision fans attending matches at Marvel Stadium. The technology debuted at the weekend and will be used for the remainder of the AFL season. It marks the first time the technology has been implemented in Australia.

Premiership Rugby club Saracens has announced the appointment of Charlie Beall as its new chief executive. Beall will take up the role later in the summer and will join Saracens from the IMG agency, where he has spent the last decade. During his time at IMG, he also spent more than two years at streaming

The esports arm of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers has announced it has obtained a “strategic investment of tens of millions of yuan” to drive its development, which includes a venue complex in the Bishan district of Chongqing, China. Wolves’ owners, Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group, have made esports a key part of their strategy in

The South Sydney Rabbitohs’ proposal to move home games from Accor Stadium to Allianz Stadium has been rejected by the New South Wales government. The National Rugby League (NRL) team has played its home games at Accor Stadium, which has a capacity of 82,000 and is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, since 2006. Prior to

K League football club Gangwon FC has agreed a stadium naming-rights deal with High1, a local ski resort. High1 already served as Gangwon FC’s main sponsor and will now take on naming rights to the 22,000-capacity Gangneung Stadium. As part of the deal, the venue will be officially rebranded as the Gangneung High1 Arena. The

The World Aquatics Championships Arena, a purpose-built venue designed for Singapore’s staging of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, has been officially unveiled with its original mission as a temporary facility now being reassessed. Built in a carpark located near the Kallang Tennis and Kallang Football Hubs at Singapore Sports Hub, WCH Arena will be the

Kai Tak Sports Park executive director, Darren Burden, is set to depart his position in Hong Kong to become the new general manager of Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. Legends ASM Global, which has managed Suncorp Stadium on behalf of Stadiums Queensland since its renovation in 2003, announced the appointment today (Wednesday) with Burden set

This year’s Saudi Super Cup is set to take place at Hong Kong Stadium as the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) looks to develop its presence globally. The tournament is scheduled for August 19-23 and will feature Al-Ittihad, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Hilal, and Al-Nassr at the 40,116-capacity venue. The competition is heading to Hong Kong following an

The Australian Football League (AFL) has appointed Tom Harley as its new chief operating officer. Harley (pictured) will join the league from the Sydney Swans, where he has served as chief executive since 2019. He joined the Swans in November 2014 as general manager of football. Harley played in the AFL for Port Adelaide and

A crowd of 42,570 attended Kai Tak Stadium earlier this week as Hong Kong’s national football team defeated India 1-0 in an Asian Cup qualifier. It marked the first international football match at the stadium, which anchors the recently opened Kai Tak Sports Park complex. Tickets for the match sold out well in advance, and

Infinite Reality, which specialises in immersive digital experiences, has announced a partnership with Portuguese Primeira Liga team SL Benfica to launch an online immersive store. The immersive web experience will enable fans to engage with club content and purchase merchandise through a dynamic, lifelike AI multi-lingual concierge that assists customers in real time. The concierge

The Government of Western Australia is said to be close to a landmark deal which could see AC Milan and Como 1907 play a competitive Serie A match at Optus Stadium in Perth. Milan is currently scheduled to face Como at home on February 8, however the club will need to find an alternative venue

Populous has released designs for a new 45,000-seat stadium at the Shah Alam Sports Complex in Malaysia, with the project targeted for completion in 2029. The stadium will replace the 80,000-capacity Shah Alam Stadium, which opened in 1994 but has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years, leading to the need for a

A new 33,000-capacity football stadium in the Belarusian capital of Minsk officially opened its doors on Saturday. The stadium has been built by Beijing Urban Construction Group, which was selected as the general contractor back in June 2020. Originally the stadium had been expected to take three years to build. The first match at the

Legends ASM Global has announced that Alan Graham will retire as general manager of Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium next month. Graham (pictured) has held the role since 2002, with a two-year break from 2007 to 2009. Legends ASM Global, which has managed the venue on behalf of Stadiums Queensland since 2003, will make an announcement on

A first information report (FIR) has been levelled against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), DNA Entertainment and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) as it emerged today (Friday) that multiple arrests have been made in connection to the scenes that led to the deaths of 11 people outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Multiple people also

The World Supercross Championship has confirmed its 2025 calendar, with its first African event to take place at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, along with an inaugural Malaysian round at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM)-sanctioned Championship has outlined a five-round schedule for 2025, following a 2024 season which took in

At least 11 people have died following a crush outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru yesterday (Wednesday). More than 30 people have also been injured following the stampede, which occurred as fans celebrated Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s Indian Premier League win earlier in the week. A victory parade was originally due to be followed by

Manchester City is upgrading the turnstiles at the Etihad Stadium and Joie Stadium as part of wider efforts to invest in the latest technology. A new screen will be fitted for fans to scan their tickets, with the turnstiles to also be fitted with cameras so that some staff can display their accreditation. The cameras

The WACA Ground in Perth has celebrated a major milestone in its redevelopment, with a topping-out ceremony held to mark the completion of the highest structural point of the project. The stadium is in the midst of a major improvement project that will transform it into a multi-sport and community facility. Traditionally referred to as

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the host venues for this year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup in India, with Sri Lanka on standby to stage a semi-final and the final should Pakistan progress through the group phase. The event will take place from September 30 to November 2 at five venues: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has commenced work on the construction of a new stadium that aims to tie in with sustainable infrastructure guidelines in India. The stadium will be built in the village of Ezhukone, Kollam district, on a 10-acre plot of land owned by the KCA. Located around 60 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram International

The estimated cost of the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium in Hobart has increased to A$945m (£450m/€537m/$609m), as legislation to support the project was released for public consultation. The Tasmanian government said the latest budget incorporates improvements that will enhance the stadium’s user experience to better cater for a wide range of planned uses, including helping

Radisson Hotel Group has announced the grand opening of a new hotel at Shanghai Stadium. The hotel features 208 rooms and suites, occupying floors six to 12 of Shanghai Stadium. Room sizes range from 38 to 200 square metres, with guests able to choose stadium-facing rooms. The stadium-facing rooms will provide a viewing experience for

NRL club the Parramatta Eels has officially opened what it claims is the largest rugby league training precinct in the world. The A$70m (£33.4m/€39.9m/$45.2m) Parramatta Eels Centre of Excellence (COE) and Kellyville Memorial Park Community Centre has been funded by the New South Wales and Australian Government, The Hills Shire Council and Parramatta Leagues Club.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced plans to return to mainland China for the first time since the global pandemic by scheduling a pair of events for Shanghai. UFC Fight Night Shanghai will be the fourth event UFC has held in mainland China, and the ninth overall in Greater China, when it takes place

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced revised plans for the finale of this season’s Indian Premier League (IPL), with New PCA Stadium and Narendra Modi Stadium to become the new venues for the playoffs. Hyderabad and Kolkata were initially supposed to host the last four games of IPL 2025 before

Premium experiences company Legends has appointed Matt O’Neil as chief marketing officer of the combined Legends and ASM Global businesses. O’Neil (pictured left) has been with Legends since 2022 and previously served as the company’s chief content and experience officer. In his new role, he will oversee marketing, creative, content, communications and events for the

Malaysia’s Shah Alam Sports Complex is set to undergo a long-awaited overhaul with Populous engaged and a contractor appointed to transform it into a sports city-style development. The Complex comprises the 80,000-capacity Shah Alam Stadium, which when opened in 1994 was the largest such venue in Southeast Asia, along with the 13,000-capacity Malawati Stadium arena.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to proceed with the remainder of the Indian Premier League season, with six venues to stage 17 matches from May 17. The BCCI suspended the IPL last week due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also announced that

Wrexham AFC is set to go on a pre-season tour to Australia and New Zealand, playing three games in July. The Welsh club is due to take on Melbourne Victory on July 11 at the 53,000-seat Marvel Stadium before facing Sydney FC at the 42,500-capacity Allianz Stadium four days later. The Wrexham Down Under Tour

Construction work at One New Zealand Stadium continues to progress, with escalators, stairs, lifts and the glass façade all in place in the western stand. The 23 corporate suites are also nearing completion, with wall linings, joinery, and ceilings in place as the venue remains on track to open in April 2026. “Fit-out works are

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced the launch of a major initiative with the aim of transforming itself into a global sports and entertainment brand. The Club has partnered with the XIX Entertainment brand to support its plans, which seek to transform the organisation into a “holistically integrated” racing, equestrian sports and entertainment experience. It

Australia will host more elite-level basketball in September after Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos announced plans to stage the Pavlos Giannakopoulos Tournament outside of Europe for the first time. Panathinaikos and Serbian outfit KK Partizan will face off at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on September 18, before competing in a four-team tournament with National Basketball League (NBL)

The capacity of Go Media Stadium will be increased for the upcoming A-League Finals Series due to strong ticket demand among Auckland FC fans. In partnership with Go Media Stadium and Auckland FC, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has added 2,700 seats to the north end of the venue ahead of the team’s semi-final second

Katie Pandolfo has been named general manager of Crypto.com Arena, home of the NHL’s LA Kings, the NBA’s LA Lakers and the WNBA’s LA Sparks. Pandolfo (pictured) most recently served as general manager of Dignity Health Sports Park, home of Major League Soccer team LA Galaxy. In her new role, she will oversee day-to-day operations at Crypto.com Arena and

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has backtracked on initial plans to relocate the remainder of this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL) to the United Arab Emirates, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid the escalating tensions between the two countries. The PCB initially officially

A new National Rugby League (NRL) franchise will launch in Perth in 2027, with the team to be based at HBF Park. The Australian Rugby League Commission announced earlier today (Thursday) that it has struck an agreement with the Western Australian government. The Perth Bears will become the 18th NRL franchise and will join the

INFiLED has partnered with Swiss audiovisual integration specialist Lemanvisio to design and deliver a custom-engineered, four-sided LED video cube for Genève-Servette Hockey Club (GSHC), which competes in the top tier of Swiss ice hockey. The new display is designed to enhance the match-day experience for fans at the Patinoire des Vernets arena. GSHC has worked

Professional services company Trivandi has acquired Brisbane-based event overlay firm Cutler Synthesized Projects, while fellow Australian group MyVenue, a leader in event venue point-of-sale (POS) technology, has received a majority investment from US growth equity firm Greater Sum Ventures (GSV). London-headquartered Trivandi’s move for Cutler Synthesized Projects enhances its end-to-end service offering by securing control of a

The Tasmanian government has announced plans to fast-track the delivery of the Macquarie Point Multipurpose Stadium project in Hobart by implementing a ‘design and construct’ procurement approach. The project aims to deliver a 23,000-seat stadium that will house a new Australian Football League (AFL) franchise, as well as stage cricket matches and other events. The

KAM Melbourne has reached an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in A-League club Western United and its parent company Western Melbourne Group (WMG), with the deal set to accelerate plans for the team’s new stadium. KAM Melbourne, a subsidiary of KAM Sports, will work with WMG partners and stakeholders to support the ownership group’s

Crypto.com Arena has announced the appointment of Michael Becker as vice-president of event services and production. Becker (pictured left) will be responsible for overseeing the arena’s events team, which acts as a liaison between the venue’s tenants: the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Kings and Los Angeles Sparks. Becker joined Crypto.com Arena in 2010 after working with Major League

The Queensland Government has introduced new laws that intend to streamline the process to deliver the venues, and wider infrastructure, needed for Brisbane’s staging of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements (BOPGA) Act 2021 is being strengthened to speed up planning approval processes and clearly define responsibilities for a successful