Vítkovice Multifunctional Arena is one of the landmarks of Ostrava

Prague – The multifunctional arena in Vítkovice, which was ceremonially opened in Ostrava on May 17, 1986, was among the most modern and largest in Europe at its time. In addition to hockey matches and other sporting events, the hall has also witnessed numerous concerts by some of the biggest stars of global pop music over four decades. However, it is best known as the home stadium for the Vítkovice ice hockey team, having hosted the Ice Hockey World Championship several times.

One of Ostrava's landmarks, located in the cadastral area of Zábřeh, was designed by architect Vladimír Dedeček, one of the most prominent figures in Slovak architecture. The project was completed after two years in 1976, when the demolition of houses standing on the site of the future Palace of Culture and Sport also began. Construction started in 1978, and over eight years, builders had to, for example, set a steel structure weighing 6,000 tons for the foundation of the hall or a roof weighing over 1,200 tons.

The Ostrava arena, with its current capacity of 11,000 spectators, is the second largest hall in the Czech Republic and the largest multipurpose hall in Moravia and Silesia. For hockey matches, it has a capacity of around 10,000 people, placing it third behind the O2 Arena, which is now the home stadium of Prague's Sparta, and the Pardubice hockey stadium. The ceremonial opening was marked by the international competitions in sport gymnastics called the Vítkovická Balance in the spring of 1986.

Among the biggest sporting events it has hosted are the Women's Volleyball World Championships in 1986 and the Women's Basketball World Championships in 2010. It also hosted the European Table Tennis Championship in 2010 and, importantly, the Ice Hockey World Championships in 2004, 2015, and 2024. The Czech Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams also played matches here. Musical stars who performed include Sting, Bob Dylan, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Joe Cocker, Julio Iglesias, and José Carreras.

The arena has gone through several name changes. Since its inception, it has been named the Palace of Culture and Sport, after the renovation in 2003 to 2004 it bore the name of the energy company ČEZ, and for the last ten years it has been called the Ostravar Arena. However, its operation is relatively expensive, and the Moravian-Silesian metropolis is now considering the construction of a new smaller hall for winter sports. After further renovation, the Vítkovice arena is expected to primarily serve for cultural and social events.