Alex Trelinski
VALENCIA’S Juan Roig Arena- named after and funded by the boss of the Mercadona supermarket chain- will open in September.
The multi-purpose venue will have a seating capacity of 20,000 for concerts and will host up to 50 events in its first year.
Roig created a company called Licampa 1617 to carry out the construction project and after a 50 year concessionary period, the facilities will be managed by Valencia City Council.
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Construction started in 2020 and it was initially expected to open two years ago.
The venue- which has cost nearly €300 million to build- will be home to sporting, musical, gastronomic and business events.
It will have bars and restaurants plus a 1,200 space car park.
There will be more than 1,000 m2 of indoor video screens, a 240 m2 video scoreboard, a 300 m2 outdoor screen plus a video-lit facade offering an immersive experience to visitors.
Juan Roig Arena general manager, Victor Sendra, said that ‘there are still many things to announce’ and that he would keep an air of ‘mystery’ as to who would perform the first concert.
Nevertheless, it was declared in December that the Columbian Latin Grammy Award-winning singer, Camilo, will be doing a gig on September 12.
An 80s disco night is scheduled for October 18 featuring a variety of pop acts from the decade including Bananarama, Alphaville, Samantha Fox, F.R.David, and Ryan Paris.
The legendary film music composer Hans Zimmer will perform on March 26, 2026, with all tickets already sold out.
The venue will be used 365 days a year with sport especially important.
It will be the new home of the Valencia Basketball Club and will host the Men’s European Handball Championships in January 2028.
Victor Sendra said the arena had an ‘unbeatable’ location next to the City of Arts and Sciences, with good transport links.
“Our objectives are to contribute to Valencia continuing to consolidate itself as a destination for national and international events and to enhance the legacy of the city, community and country,” he said.
