Owner Tel Aviv Municipality Renovated 1972, 2005, 2008 Capacity 11,000 Phone +972 3-637-6000 | Operator Sport Palaces Limited Expanded Opened 17 September 1963 | |
 | ||
Former names Sports Palace at Yad Eliyahu, Nokia Arena Location 51 Yigal Allon Street
Tel Aviv, Israel Address Yigal Alon St 51, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 67062, Israel Teams Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., Israel national basketball team Similar Bloomfield Stadium, Romema Arena, Drive in Arena, Pais Arena Jerusalem, Yarkon Park | ||
Menora Mivtachim Arena (Hebrew: היכל מנורה מבטחים) is a large multi-purpose sports arena in southern Tel Aviv, Israel. It is one of the major sporting facilities in the Greater Tel Aviv Area.
Contents
The arena is home to the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club, a member of the Maccabi Tel Aviv sports club. It hosted the Israeli Super League final four, the State Cup final four and most of the Israeli national basketball team home games. It also hosted the European Basketball Champions Cup Final Four in 1994 and the Euroleague Final Four in 2004. In other sports, it has hosted a Davis Cup World Group match between Israel and France in 1989, and the Davis Cup quarterfinals between Israel and Russia in July 2009.
The arena is owned by the municipality of Tel Aviv, and is managed by Sports Palaces Ltd., a company also fully owned by the municipality (which also manages Bloomfield Stadium).
On January 1, 2015 the arena changed its name to Menora Mivtachim Arena (Hebrew: היכל מנורה מבטחים).
History
The arena was opened on 17 September 1963 with a game between the national basketball teams of Israel and Yugoslavia, in which the latter won 69-64.
In its early years, the arena held a capacity of 5,000 spectators, with just concrete stands, without any seats, and without a roof. In 1972, a second floor of tiers was built, increasing the capacity to 10,000 spectators. The concrete stands were covered by seats and the arena was covered with a roof. Further renovations through the years 2006–2008 modernized the arena further, added commercial facilities, and increased its capacity to 10,383.
The arena hosted the FIBA European All star game in 1997, the FIBA European Champions Cup final game in 1972, and the Euroleague Final four in 1994 and 2004.
Entertainment
The arena has hosted musical acts such as Teen Angels, Lali, Scorpions, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, Oasis, Cyndi Lauper, LMFAO, Westlife, Five, Philipp Kirkorov, Natalia Oreiro, Alicia Keys, Sean Paul, and Julio and Enrique Iglesias.
The Mamma Mia! international tour played 24 shows at the venue as well. and international tour Alegría of Cirque du Soleil.
On December 19 and 20 2015 has hosted comedian Jerry Seinfeld in his first live performance in Israel. four times, sold out the four events.